Statue of Liberty Museum
In October 2016, plans were unveiled for a new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, that is expected to open in 2019. The new 26,000 sq. ft museum was designed by architectural practice FXFOWLE and will be built by Phelps Construction Group.
The Statue of Liberty receives more than 4.3 million visitors a year. The new museum will give visitors the chance to ‘learn about and honour the Statue’s history, influence and legacy in the world.’
A fundraising campaign, chaired by Diane von Furstenberg, aims to raise $70 million to build the museum. Von Furstenberg proposed creating a mural inspired by the American flag at the museum’s entrance. Each of the fifty ‘Liberty Stars’ will be sculpted into the mural, crafted from the original hand-forged iron bars, created by engineer Gustave Eiffel, which supported the statue for 100 years before being removed and during the 1986 centennial restoration.
The museum will adopt best practice for sustainability and feature a green roof-scape and bird-safe glass exteriors. The interior and exterior spaces will be built with local materials, including Stony Creek granite, bronze, plaster, and a variety of native vegetation. In adherence with the new FEMA Executive Order on floodplain management and resiliency, the museum will be set above 500-year flood levels and built to withstand hurricane-force winds.
ESI Design will create the museum exhibits, which will include an immersive virtual ‘fly-through’ inside the monument with an overview of Lady Liberty’s story and the construction process.
Diane von Furstenberg said: "Lady Liberty is the symbol of everything America is about: freedom, hope, possibility and resilience. It is She that millions of immigrants saw first as they arrived in this country, their hearts full of dreams for a brighter future. Now it is my hope that the Statue of Liberty and her incredible story will live on and on, inspiring generations for years to come.”
For more information, see Statue of Liberty Museum.
Content and images courtesy of FXFOWLE.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
HBPT and BEAMS Jubilees. Book review.
Does the first Labour budget deliver for the built environment?
What does the UK Budget mean for electrical contractors?
Mixed response as business pays, are there silver linings?
A brownfield housing boost for Liverpool
A 56 million investment from Homes England now approved.
Fostering a future-ready workforce through collaboration
Collaborative Futures: Competence, Capability and Capacity, published and available for download.
Considerate Constructors Scheme acquires Building A Safer Future
Acquisition defines a new era for safety in construction.
AT Awards evening 2024; the winners and finalists
Recognising professionals with outstanding achievements.
Reactions to the Autumn Budget announcement
And key elements of the quoted budget to rebuild Britain.
Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers Budget
Repairing, fixing, rebuilding, protecting and strengthening.
Expectation management in building design
Interest, management, occupant satisfaction and the performance gap.
Connecting conservation research and practice with IHBC
State of the art heritage research & practice and guidance.
Innovative Silica Safety Toolkit
Receives funding boost in memory of construction visionary.
Gentle density and the current context of planning changes
How should designers deliver it now as it appears in NPPF.
Sustainable Futures. Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living
More speakers confirmed for BSRIA Briefing 2024.
Making the most of urban land: Brownfield Passports
Policy paper in brief with industry responses welcomed.
The boundaries and networks of the Magonsæte.
Comments
The new Statue of Liberty Museum is architecturally stunning and the exhibit content is compelling as well.