Project Description
After outgrowing its original space in DC’s Penn Quarter, the International Spy Museum sought a new and iconic site that could meet the needs of a world class facility. It’s new 141,055-SF space in L’Enfant Plaza achieves the organization’s goal to showcase the largest collection of espionage artifacts while supporting their mission to educate the public on how intelligence has changed the course of history in an engaging and interactive way. The site also presented a unique opportunity for community impact, connecting the underutilized two-mile stretch between the National Mall and the new Wharf DC development.
The Museum’s final design concept is a play on the business of espionage, intended to be “hidden in plain sight” and, much like the role of a spy, the Museum structure is not quite what it seems. The mystery and intrigue of the exhibits are obscured behind a dark metal black box which sits above a transparent base. With its evocative form, powerful sloped columns, corrugated metal panel skin, and pleated glass veil, the museum sparks intrigue from a distance and attracts passersby, making a vibrant architectural and urban statement in the existing concrete canyon of L’Enfant Plaza.
Now with more than double the floor space, the relocated museum serves as a catalyst for the revitalization of the L’Enfant Plaza neighborhood, reinforcing the intentions of the SW Ecodistrict Plan by connecting the National Mall to The Wharf and future developments south of the site. By expanding and relocating to the evolving area, the Museum now plans to attract twice its original crowd of local, national and international visitors annually.