National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

When writing a critique of a building, it is useful to begin with a definition of its type to evaluate how its design meets programming criteria. For instance, a convention center is a venue for large displays—political, social, or commercial. A public museum, serving as a repository for art accessible to the public, requires a methodical and functional approach. Due to its civic importance, a public museum demands a closer critique, influenced by its content and context, which shape the ultimate rendering of its design. In my previous critique of the East Wing of the National Gallery, the site and context provided valuable insights into how its design achieves effectiveness. Similarly, the interdependence of the contrasting East and West wings at this museum is crucial for a comprehensive assessment, enhancing their individual design responses.

Like the horizontally divided East and West Wings of the National Gallery, the National Museum of African American History and culture is split into two distinct sections within the same building. These sections engage in a dialogue between past and present, mutually reinforcing their significance as signifiers for each other.

Located on the National Mall in Washington DC, the design of the new the National Museum of African American History and culture leans towards metaphorical expression compared to the National Gallery of Art. It strategically places functions within the building to narrate the African American experience. The building's design and the museum's content together form a cohesive narrative, reflecting the struggles and achievements of a race within American society. This narrative is predominantly conveyed through the building's layout and the arrangement of galleries.

The curated exhibits tell multiple stories, while the building design suggests another narrative intentionally aligned with the exhibits. David Adjaye, the architect, reached conclusions that guide the rendering of the building's functionality and design, reflecting a mutual intentionality between the museum's program and architectural design. What metaphor does the museum embody? It symbolizes solitary exclusion, the loss of self and the denial of individual freedoms experienced by other Americans. It represents the effort to rise above societal barriers and fulfill democratic promises, despite historical and self-imposed obstacles.

The concrete building design creates a profound impression: visitors descend three levels below ground and ascend through a series of ramps, physically engaging with the museum's narrative. The lowest level plunges visitors into the darkest chapters of history—the beginnings of slavery and its atrocities. Moving through cavernous and shadowy rooms, visitors confront the harsh realities of the slave trade, experiencing the sheer scale of human suffering and exploitation driven by greed. Emerging into a vast atrium filled with artifacts and recreations, visitors gain a visceral understanding of the subterranean journey and the struggles endured.

Ascending through historical narratives—such as the Civil War and the Underground Railroad—the museum guides visitors towards the light, metaphorically and physically. Each level offers a deeper exploration of African American history, culminating in a journey towards understanding and freedom.

Upon reaching the upper floors, the museum's enclosure transitions from solid walls to light, airy glass curtain walls. Outside these walls, a diaphanous copper screen celebrates the emergence into light while obscuring full views, symbolizing the ongoing quest for social equity and justice. Partial views of monuments like the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial underscore progress yet to be fully realized—a visual metaphor for the incomplete journey towards freedom.

At the museum's highest floors, the metaphor shifts. Instead of a final step into freedom and transparency, visitors encounter exhibits that evoke ongoing struggles without clear resolution. Transcendent of the lives and materiality contained within this museum’s enclosure, lies a real struggle of a people, writ large, as civic architecture.