BeyondDC Thumbnail Gallery - National Museum of the American Indian

BeyondDC is pretty conservative when it comes to architecture. It's not that we insist on classicism as much as we think there are some basic tenets of good design that, for the most part, are not subjective. One example is the concept that buildings should have a base, a middle and a top. We don't like modernism or its equally childish sibling deconstructivism precisely because they abandon most basic tenets of good architecture in pursuit of cheap thrills. The architecture of Le Corbusier and Frank Gehry seeks to grab attention and singularly define the landscape. When applied to just one landmark building it's more or less OK, but when applied to many buildings it significantly disrupts the built environment.

Due to our aversion to modern architecture (and derivatives that use different shapes to apply the same principles), we approached the National Museum of the American Indian with hesitancy. Upon taking it in, BeyondDC thinks the building is acceptable, but not magnificent. It's probably as good as we could hope for given the constraints of the site and current fads within the architectural establishment.

Site
The National Mall is not an easy site on which to build. Intense security concerns, a desire to please both Washingtonian urbanites and tourists from the heartland and the balancing act required to make a building enough of a monument that it adequately honors its object group but not so impressive that it overwhelms the rest of monumental Washington all amount to a very difficult chore. For these reasons, normal rules of good urbanity do not exactly apply. Setbacks and large footprints are a given. The question then, is how does the Indian Museum work within its constraints?

Results are mixed. On-site improvements to make the sidewalk more interesting generally work, but the basic building orientation itself does not interact well with the rest of the Mall. Predictably, given the architectural style, the site seems to have been designed in a vacuum.

The biggest problem is the orientation of the building. Rather than fronting on the Mall like every other nearby building, the Indian Museum ignores its best asset and fronts to the east. The problems don’t end there. Assuming, for a moment, putting the front on what should the side made sense, it’s on the wrong side. Most tourists first approach the Indian Museum from one of two nearby Metro stations. Both are located a few blocks to the west, along with most of the other heavily visited Smithsonian museums. The result? The side of the building most people see first is the actually the back.

Smaller scale site improvements aimed at breaking up the monotony of the sidewalk work pretty well.

Over 150 species of plants native to the DC area before urbanization surround the museum.

A pleasant fountain drains to a creek-like feature meant to invoke Tiber Creek, which once flowed through the site.

This lagoon offers a tranquil escape.

BeyondDC doesn’t know the significance of this circular area.

Façade
For many architects, the façade is the most important statement in any building. It’s what defines the success or failure of a product. The façade of the Indian Museum most definitely makes a statement, so in that sense it must be a resounding success. The waving lines, sandy colors and rough materials are clearly meant to invoke natural features of the American West, such as the Grand Canyon or the many mesas of Utah. It’s an interesting, unique dichotomy amidst all the granite and marble of Washington. The shape of the building, though, is a bit awkward. Despite the lack of straight lines and naturalistic themes, the building is undeniably boxy. Only the east (the front) successfully blends natural-looking design with natural-looking shapes. Ironically it’s the side with the most glass.

Interior
There are two major problems with the interior of the building. First, it is hard to navigate. Upon entering, one must walk around a kiva-like stage area / atrium, which visitors cannot see in to until all the way around. Once past the kiva visitors are presented with three options: stairs, a gift shop, or a crowded, dark hallway leading to who-knows-where. This basic problem is repeated as one climbs the stairs and enters each individual level. The exhibits - theoretically the most important part of the museum - are hard to find, behind endless gift shops and tucked along dark, poorly marked corridors. Once we got hold of a map we did OK, but without one BeyondDC was lost. The second major problem has to do with decoration. BeyondDC has to wonder if the powers that be simply ran out of money, because what decoration exists is detailed, thoughtful and interesting. There just isn’t anywhere near enough of it.