One design features a sequence of seemingly floating atriums, hovering over a courtyard decked out in partitions of glass. One other has sharp fins jutting towards the sky, paying homage to angled sails.
For now, they’re simply concepts, however the Navy is hoping to construct public curiosity and donations for a brand new nationwide museum in Washington, D.C., releasing new conceptual paintings final week.
The Navy mentioned Thursday that the museum can be positioned close to Navy Yard, a part of the nation’s capital that overlooks the Anacostia River and a rapidly growing district that the ocean service is hoping would be the repository for its historical past.
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Thirty-seven structure companies submitted qualifying ideas for the ability, however solely 5 have been chosen for the showcase.
“We’re happy to show 5 visions for the way forward for the Nationwide Museum of the U.S. Navy,” Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro mentioned in a press launch. “Whereas every idea is completely different, all of them present how we’d rejoice our Navy’s accomplishments, honor our veterans and level the best way towards the Navy’s future.”
The designs, nevertheless, are usually not a part of the ultimate design competitors, in accordance to The Washington Put up, and are supposed to generate curiosity for not solely different architectural companies to affix the competitors, however for the Navy and public to purchase into the idea.
“It isn’t the ultimate design competitors for really constructing the museum,” retired Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, the director of the Naval Historical past and Heritage Command, informed the newspaper final week. “However one in every of these companies might wind up being the finalist for that when it happens. Or it could possibly be someone else.”
Fundraising is the important thing catalyst to start the precise competitors, Cox added. When — and what — that quantity can be is unclear.
“Whereas monetary discussions are untimely at this level, we’re working with [the] Navy Museum Improvement Basis,” Lt. Ian McConnaughey, public affairs officer at Naval Historical past and Heritage Command, informed Navy.com Monday.
The Navy Museum Improvement Basis was chosen by the Navy in October “to safe the funding required to construct a state-of-the-art nationwide Navy museum,” in keeping with its web site.
The structure companies have been working since January to finish the designs, which embody an atrium and a courtyard for ceremonies; the designs additionally built-in naval ideas into the architectural paintings — sails, plane, or a swift boat, for instance.
The constructing would represent 270,000 sq. toes and about “100,000 sq. toes of web gallery house,” in keeping with the Navy.
Charles Swift, the performing director of the Museum of america Navy, the service’s present historic establishment, mentioned the designs are an vital first step within the technique of finishing the challenge, which in keeping with the Put up, will start in 2025.
The brand new Navy museum could be the primary nationwide service museum positioned instantly in D.C. The nationwide Army museum, in addition to the Marine Corps museum, are positioned in Northern Virginia.
The Naval Historical past and Heritage Command additionally listed its Fb web page and e-mail in case the general public desires to weigh in on the design concepts.
“These concepts incorporate the suggestions the Navy has acquired from working teams of active-duty sailors and signify the work of historians, curators and different professionals at Naval Historical past and Heritage Command,” McConnaughey mentioned. “We welcome the general public’s suggestions on these 5 ideas as we proceed to work in the direction of our new museum and cultural middle for the Navy.”
— Drew F. Lawrence might be reached at drew.lawrence@army.com. Observe him on Twitter @df_lawrence.
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