Old Patent Office Building

Washington, DC

AWARD for the state-of-the-art renovation of this national historic landmark, one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in America, and its transformation into the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture with enhanced facilities to serve the visiting public.

This National Historic Landmark, constructed between 1836 and 1868, is considered one of the finest Greek Revival structures in the United States.  Prominent American architects Robert Mills and Thomas U. Walter were its supervising architects.  The enormous galleries on the top floor were designed for the display of some 200,000 patent models.  In 1958 the building was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution to house its National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, which opened in 1968.

A badly needed renovation of the building was begun in 2000 and completed seven years later at a cost of $283 million in federal and private funding. All systems were replaced, marble and wood flooring installed to match originals, and 550 wood windows replicated with hand-blown glass panes. A state-of-the-art auditorium was added, and the central open courtyard enclosed with a glass canopy designed by Norman Foster & Partners of London.

The two museums, with expanded exhibition space and enhanced facilities, are now equipped to accommodate the building’s increased visitation.

Website:  National Park Service (listing)