In its meeting of 19 September, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a submission for several building and landscape elements of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. The Commission did not take an action to approve any part of the submission and provided the following comments to guide the resolution of the design of this highly significant building on the National Mall. In general, the Commission members expressed concern that key aspects of the compelling design are not being developed as originally intended; they strongly urged the Smithsonian Institution to remain faithful to the quality of concept and materials that this museum deserves.
Noting again the importance of the corona as the most iconic element of this new institution, the Commission members reiterated their support for the use of actual bronze in the finish of the character–defining corona panels. Dissatisfied with the presented choice to use a metal–colored polymeric painted finish (Duranar) instead of bronze, they recommended that a finish containing real bronze material be used. They observed that the Duranar paint finish imparts a putty–like appearance under overcast conditions and will not behave like bronze over time; alternatively, they noted that the mockup panel of LuminOre–a finish containing bronze metal–is far superior in its depth of color, richness, and luster. They expressed frustration that engineering decisions to proceed only with the Duranar finish have already been made, despite the Commission's continuing and unequivocal advice that the LuminOre finish better conveys the spirit and intended effect of the approved concept design. In conclusion, they did not approve the proposed Duranar paint for the corona panels.
Regarding the night lighting, the Commission has been highly supportive of illuminating the corona to promote the legibility of this monumental building–through a soft glow behind the bronze panels–during evening hours within the setting of the National Mall. However, as noted in the report from the August 5 site visit to the corona mockup and again by the Commission members in their formal review, the inconsistent material and plane of enclosure panels behind the silhouette of metal openwork–resulting from design changes intended to improve thermal performance–will create distractions that will be easily perceptible under a variety of conditions. The Commission members noted the hot spots apparent in the mockup created by the reflection of light off the insulated metal panel in comparison to the insulated glass units; they found this phenomenon will create large, visually discordant shapes within the elevations that conflict with the purity of the building's form and the subtlety of the intended filigree of bronze. Therefore, they recommended careful reconsideration of the material and location of these opaque panels, with the goal of either creating a uniform plane to reflect the light evenly, or one that distributes the opaque panels more randomly, following the general logic of the episodic composition of the bronze screens and lens openings.
