The fascinating, state-of-the-art world of international espionage now has a home to match its intrigue and allure; enter the newly launched International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. The structure, designed by London based Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP), is about to open its doors to the public in a celebration that also marks the very first cultural building in the US for the renowned UK architecture firm.
The structure, which spans some 13,000 sq m, is now the permanent home for the non-profit organisation that was previously housed in the historic Le Droit Building in Downtown Washington. The new home's angled façades and strongly transparent character are instantly arresting, but they hide a surprise within; propped up on columns a ‘black box' comprises the majority of the ultra-flexible exhibition spaces.
Underneath this floating structure sit generous public spaces and specialised areas. Meanwhile, a metal staircase connecting all seven floors is suspended along the outside of the metal-panelled west façade and enclosed in a suspended glass atrium called the ‘Veil', explain the architects.
RELATED STORY
The building includes a generous lobby, ticketing and retail space, a 150 seat theatre, classrooms, an event and banqueting area and offices – as well as over 3250 sq m of exhibition space to display its unique collection of spy artefacts from all over the globe. It is, after all, the only public museum in the United States ‘solely dedicated to the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage,’ explain the architects.
‘It has been an absolute delight to have been involved in the design of the International Spy Museum. It is a building for the future that will bring its neighbourhood to life,’ says Ivan Harbour. ‘A celebration not only of the long-standing human activity that it showcases, but also of the city around it. A landmark for 21st century D.C.’
Washington’s International Spy Museum opens to the public this weekend.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the RSHP website
ADDRESS
International Spy Museum
700 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Washington DC
20024
US
-
This cult Los Angeles pop-up restaurant now has a permanent addressChef Brian Baik’s Corridor 109 makes its permanent debut in Melrose Hill. No surprise, it's now one of the hardest tables in town to book
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
How ethical is Google Street View, asks Jon Rafman in CopenhagenIn 'Report a Concern - the Nine Eyes Archives' at Louisiana Museum of Art, Copenhagen, Jon Rafman considers technology's existential implications
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
Remembering Robert A.M. Stern, an architect who discovered possibility in the pastIt's easy to dismiss the late architect as a traditionalist. But Stern was, in fact, a design rebel whose buildings were as distinctly grand and buttoned-up as his chalk-striped suits
-
Own an early John Lautner, perched in LA’s Echo Park hillsThe restored and updated Jules Salkin Residence by John Lautner is a unique piece of Californian design heritage, an early private house by the Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte that points to his future iconic status
-
The Stahl House – an icon of mid-century modernism – is for sale in Los AngelesAfter 65 years in the hands of the same family, the home, also known as Case Study House #22, has been listed for $25 million
-
Houston's Ismaili Centre is the most dazzling new building in America. Here's a look insideLondon-based architect Farshid Moussavi designed a new building open to all – and in the process, has created a gleaming new monument
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fountainhead will be opened to the public for the first timeThe home, a defining example of the architect’s vision for American design, has been acquired by the Mississippi Museum of Art, which will open it to the public, giving visitors the chance to experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s genius firsthand
-
Clad in terracotta, these new Williamsburg homes blend loft living and an organic feelThe Williamsburg homes inside 103 Grand Street, designed by Brooklyn-based architects Of Possible, bring together elegant interiors and dramatic outdoor space in a slick, stacked volume
-
This ethereal Miami residence sprouted out of a wild, jungle-like gardenA Miami couple tapped local firm Brillhart Architecture to design them a house that merged Florida vernacular, Paul Rudolph and 'too many plants to count’
