The Smithsonian has selected architecture firm Perkins & Will to design the new Bezos Learning Center at the institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Located on the east side of the National Air and Space Museum at its flagship building on the National Mall, the Bezos Learning Centre is being funded by $130 million of a $200m gift from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – the largest donation to the Smithsonian since its founding gift from James Smithson in 1846.
The new three-storey learning centre will offer educational programmes and activities with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). It will include exhibition spaces, a restaurant, a rooftop terrace and an observatory.
$130m learning centre on National Mall
Per a statement from the Smithsonian, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with an opening slated for 2027.
Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch said the centre will be “another unique Smithsonian landmark on the National Mall that will expand and enhance our educational impact”.
Chris Browne, the museum’s director, said the firm has “demonstrated experience in similar projects, and I am confident they will design a building that will serve as an incredible resource for educational programming”.
Perkins & Will has designed projects including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Shanghai Natural History Museum.
The company was one of five anonymous shortlisted firms and was chosen after the design proposals were released for public feedback in September 2022.
Bridget Lesniak, managing principal at Perkins & Will, said the development “is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the power of design to shape the future”.
National Air and Space Museum renovation
The remaining $70 million from Bezos will support the National Air and Space Museum’s seven-year renovation project, which started in 2018.
“The Smithsonian plays a vital role in igniting the imaginations of our future builders and dreamers,” Bezos said in a previous statement.
Lead image credit: The Smithsonian
