The Experiential Design Index

Newseum — Newseum

The Newseum, a $450 million, 250,000 sq ft journalism-history museum near the National Mall in Washington, DC, opened April 11, 2008, with architecture by Polshek Partnership (now Ennead Architects), exhibit design by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, fabrication by Kubik/Maltbie, AV integration by Electrosonic, and acoustic/audio design by SH Acoustics; the museum permanently closed in December 2019.

VenueNewseum
Project typeNew Building
StatusCompleted
Year completed2008
Technologiesbroadcast studios, multimedia theaters, interactive stations

Credits

FirmRoleNote
Ennead Architects Architecture Credited as Polshek Partnership Architects (James Stewart Polshek) at the time; designed the $450 million, 250,000 sq ft building near the National Mall
Ralph Appelbaum Associates Exhibit Design Also designed the museum's original 1997 Arlington, VA location
kubik maltbie Fabrication
Electrosonic AV Integration
SH Acoustics Acoustic Consulting Acoustic and audio systems design across 18 multimedia theaters, more than 100 interactive stations and videos, two broadcast studios, an event lobby, and a conference center; covered room acoustics, sound isolation, noise control, and audio delivery.
poulin-morris Environmental Graphics & Wayfinding Full-building wayfinding/environmental-graphics program, per Poulin +Morris's own project page . A different scope than the core-exhibits fabrication already credited to Kubik/ Maltbie, so additive — not independently confirmed as belonging to this 2008 opening rather than a later date.
Design Communications Ltd. Fabrication Fabricated the Poulin+Morris-designed building signage; same caveat on date-alignment as above.

Description

A seven-level, 250,000 sq ft building housing fifteen theaters and fifteen galleries dedicated to the history of journalism and the First Amendment, including two working broadcast studios. The museum operated 2008–2019 before closing and selling the building to Johns Hopkins University.

Sources