National Museum of the United States Army

The 188,000-square-foot National Museum of the United States Army is comprised of two adjoining buildings – a custom building and an exhibit wing. The custom building houses the main lobby, an experiential learning center, Veterans’ Hall, Army art, a special exhibitions gallery, retail space, a café, and offices. The exhibit wing consists of a one-level, open-concept exhibit space. The structure’s façade is comprised of glass and metal panels, and the interiors feature high-end terrazzo and granite finishes, as well as stained oak millwork. Largely concealed by trees along the roadway leading to the parking lots, awe-inspiring metal panels greet patrons as they make their way to the museum entrance. These metal panels were a key feature during the project’s initial concept design and support the museum's ability to tell the story of the United States Army and its soldiers. They also proved to be one of the project team’s biggest engineering challenges. Creative Solutions to Complex Challenges The sheer size of the museum’s façade required the production of multiple mock-ups to ensure the owner’s desired aesthetic. Ultimately, the façade – which also needed to act as a rainscreen – was fabricated with more than 3,000 stainless steel panels in a range of sizes. The largest measuring 3 feet by 20 feet tall. The metal panels’ installation proved difficult due to the connection clips between panels. Only horizontal runs could be installed at one time. Panels were installed on adjustable l-angles to ensure they met the required flatness criteria, and then the l-angles on the individual panels were attached to I-angles on the building. Since the two angles were made with dissimilar metals, the panels would not attach properly to the building, requiring the team to paint each l-angle with epoxy. Inside the museum, the project team encountered another unforeseen condition while prefabricating electrical rooms for the project. The building’s design required an electrical room in the Exhibit Hall but did not allow sufficient space to accommodate one. Working alongside the architect, exhibit fabricator, and exhibit designer, the project team constructed an electrical room inside one of the museum’s exhibits – creatively using a shipping container to demonstrate the importance of logistics to the Army. In addition to delivering the main exhibit spaces nine months early, the entire project was completed one month ahead of schedule.

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