A Soldier’s Perspective: New National Museum of the United States Army
Natural stone was a key component in the design of the new National Museum of the United States Army, which tells the Army’s story through an individual’s eyes
More than 20 years in the making, the National Museum of the United States Army (NMUSA) opened its doors in time for Veterans Day of 2020. The museum, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) as a series of pavilions for exhibits and special events, sprawls 84 acres across the bucolic Fort Belvoir Military Installation in Virginia – just 20 miles outside Washington, DC. Part of SOM’s design and planning for the future of the site also includes a quiet memorial garden, a parade field and grandstand, as well as an Army Trail with interpretive stations. Several varieties of natural stone are prominently showcased throughout the design of the 185,000-square-foot building, which is LEED Silver-certified.
“The Army Historical Foundation envisioned a building that would tell the complete story of the Army, and the goal was to tell this story through the perspective of the individual soldier,” said the SOM design team. “As architects, our role was to manifest this personal experience into the design itself – to create a building that would resonate with any veteran.