Constructed almost entirely underground, the new 41,000-SF Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center has a quiet presence on George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate despite its significant size. On approach, the building virtually disappears, allowing views to the landscape on the opposite side.
As visitors descend the grand stair in the light-filled, two-story entry pavilion, constant visual connections to nature make the transition to the underground space imperceptible. The entrances to the education center and museum exhibits immediately materialize. After viewing them, visitors exit through a glass-enclosed serpentine corridor, curved like the many natural paths present on the estate.
AIA Maryland Design Award & AIA Baltimore Design Award Winner
"At Mount Vernon, New Centers Offer Lessons in Harmony" – An Article by Roger K. Lewis, The Washington Post, October 28, 2006
Details
- 7 permanent and temporary museum galleries
- 14 education center galleries
- 3 theaters
- 2 distance-learning classrooms