National Museum of African American History and Culture
Location1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington D.C., USA
Type(s) of establishment
Type Permanent exhibition
Collection Costumes, musical instruments and other music-related artifacts
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington D.C., USA
Designed by Ralph Applebaum Associates and completed in partnership with Design & Production Inc., the Musical Crossroads gallery included approximately one hundred freestanding and built-in wall cases, most with different dimensions.
The NMAAHC is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. Musical Crossroads, more specifically, tells the story of African American music from the arrival of the first Africans to the present day.
Challenge
The height and narrowness for most of the freestanding cases, combined with their even narrower recessed toe-kicks, greatly increased the complexity of this project.
We’re talking 12 feet high all-glass cases sitting on 18” kickers!
Our Solutions
The cases were structurally tested in both 3D and physical environments to ensure stability and performance.
The pre-assembly phase was essential and allowed us to make any corrections and adjustments in our shop before delivery.
Anchoring these cases to the floor was mandatory for security and balance.
