WASHINGTON, D.C.—Five design proposals for the new National Museum of the U.S. Navy (NMUSN), including concept art by global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will, have been made public. The finalists were invited earlier this year to participate in an Artistic Ideas Competition led by the Naval History and Heritage Command. Perkins&Will’s concepts are inspired by the Navy’s core values and attributes—strength, commitment, integrity, courage, honor, and initiative—and are informed by research, including interviews with active and veteran U.S. Navy sailors.
“Our proposed ideas emphasize the U.S. Navy’s rich legacy of victory, valor, and sacrifice, with a focus on remembering, honoring, and preserving history. This museum will be an opportunity to reflect on, honor, and celebrate the Navy’s culture and achievements,” says Zena Howard, cultural and civic practice chair at Perkins&Will and managing principal for the competition team. “Expressing this powerful story will require a throughline from tradition to future, from veterans to modern-day sailors.”
The artistic vision was led largely by award-winning architect Ralph Johnson, the designer of the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters on the St. Elizabeths’ National Historic Landmark Campus in Washington, D.C. and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.
“Our concept places visitors at the intersection of the three elemental forces—land, sea, and air—that shape the U.S. Navy,” says Johnson, who is also Perkins&Will’s global design director. “It’s a tangible expression of the Navy’s honor, courage, and commitment.”
