The National Air and Space Museum (NASM), among the most popular museums in the world, opened in 1976 as part of the U.S. bicentennial celebration. Set along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum welcomes approximately 7 million visitors annually to see such iconic artifacts as the 1903 Wright brothers plane; Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis; John Glenn’s Mercury capsule, Friendship 7; and the Apollo 11 command module. The building is massive in size, spanning three city blocks with 687,000 square feet of exhibition, theater, office, and support space.
After more than four decades of use, the sprawling complex was in dire need of an update. Quinn Evans was selected as the architect for a multiphase modernization of the NASM building with Mueller Associates providing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering. Now under construction, the renovation will upgrade a deteriorating roof and façade and remedy problems, such as too much light permeating the galleries, leaky pipes, inconsistent temperature and humidity, and limited accessibility. The work includes primarily new HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and life safety systems.