Museums – revealing untold stories
Museums are one of the keys to unlocking the mysteries of our past. They give insights into the history of not just our culture or land but of all mankind. Although museums may need to paint a complete picture and create information gaps, it has helped in piecing together many historical events. The lessons we can learn from the past are countless.
The National World War II Museum
The National D-Day Museum was founded in 2000 to commemorate the 56th anniversary of D-Day. It is a military history museum located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. The museum focuses on highlighting the country’s contributions made to attain victory in World War II. The museum talks about the story of the Americans in the War – what happened, how it was won, and everything that changed the world forever. The National D-Day Museum was named the National World War II Museum by the United States Congress in 2003. The Government aimed to renew the museum campus by extending it furthermore. An international master plan competition was held to find ideas and designers for the same. Voorsanger Architects PC won the competition and was awarded the commission to build the new campus. Upon winning, the firm joined hands with Edward C. Mathes from Mathes Brierre Architects to form the design team for The National World War II Museum.
Voorsanger Architects PC, Mathes LLC – Vision and Mission | The National WWII Museum
An architect’s design is a reflection of his/her values and beliefs. The team at Voorsanger with a dedicated commitment to the defence of freedom values the courage and sacrifices made during World War II. Optimism, determination, and teamwork are key values that drive them along the design of the museum. With the completion of the new campus, they wish to inspire all generations – young and old- by depicting heroism, tragedies, and the aftermaths of loss and victory. They aim to create a world-recognized museum by creating pavilions and exhibition spaces. It is no doubt that one learns more by interacting with the exhibits. Hence the team of architects will engage the audience through interactive oral talks, distance learning, new forms of media, and communication – all to create an interactive museum experience.
The Museum Campus master plan by Voorsanger Mathes LLC consists of five buildings built in phases – Solomon Victory Theater, U.S. Freedom Pavilion, Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters, Hall of Democracy, Liberation Pavilion, and Bollinger Canopy of Peace.
U.S. Freedom Pavilion – The Boeing Center
Completed in 2013, it is the tallest building on the National World War II Museum’s Campus at 96 feet. With a budget of 20.5 million dollars, it stands as an architectural statement for the entire campus. The pavilion has elevated bridges to create interaction and dialogue between the visitor and the exhibits. This helps in viewing the exhibits closely and creates movement in the pavilion. An addition of LED screens allows viewing of documentaries and historical footage, thus immersing the visitors in the historical events. The restored Boeing B-17G “Flying Fortress.”, the B25J Mitchell Bomber, the TBM Avenger, the P51, the Corsair F4U and the SBD Dauntless are a few large exhibited artefacts that were integral to the Allied victory.
Bollinger Canopy of Peace | The National WWII Museum
The National World War II Museum’s Bollinger Canopy of Peace pavilion has made a new identity and memorable landmark along the city skyline. The entire canopy is a truss system consisting of an exposed steel frame structure with tensile fabric shades. It rises 150 feet above ground level and covers a triangular area about 400 feet long and 120 feet wide. The engineering and technical details were a challenge taken up to bring this dream to fruition. It is strategically placed in the master plan of the museum’s campus and serves as a visual landmark inside the campus, linking all other exhibits with each other. The Canopy symbolises all the values fought for in World War II, their sacrifices and their hope to win for the country.
Solomon Victory Theater
“Beyond All Boundaries” is a 4D cinematic experience produced and narrated by Tom Hanks. It was produced exclusively for The National World War II Museum, to be viewed at the Solomon Victory Theater. The theatre has a capacity of 246 viewers. It is also open for corporate events, award ceremonies and movie premiers with new-age digital technology.
The Liberation Pavilion | The National WWII Museum
Journeying through the pavilions and exhibits of the Museum Campus, the visitors will enter The Liberation Pavilion set to complete in 2023. It will reflect on the closing months of World War II and the immediate years after the War. There will be three levels in the pavilion. The pavilion’s concept portrays the end of various aspects of World War II. The first floor, named as Liberation, will allow visitors to reflect upon the joys and costs of liberation. It will encourage the visitors to contemplate what freedom means. The second and third floors of the pavilion will focus on what the war means in our lives today. It will show the visitors a fresh perspective of democracy. The second floor will comprise interactive spaces depicting how the world has changed since World War II. It talks about America’s growth, and it’s stand in the world.
Online Sources:
The National WWII Museum (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_WWII_Museum (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
Wwii museum (2018) Voorsanger Architects Archive. Available at: https://voorsangerarchive.org/national-wwii-museum/ (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
The National WWII Museum (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_National_WWII_Museum (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
Mission / Vision / Values: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/about-us/mission-vision-values (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
Bollinger Canopy of peace: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/museum-campus-guide/bollinger-canopy-peace (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
WW II Museum’s Bollinger Canopy of peace hits major milestone (2020) Walter P Moore. Available at: https://www.walterpmoore.com/ww-ii-museums-bollinger-canopy-peace-hits-major-milestone (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
Liberation pavilion: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Available at: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/museum-campus-guide/liberation-pavilion (Accessed: February 19, 2023).
