All Topics  
Arts and Industries Building

 
Arts and Industries Building

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Arts and Industries Building
 
 
  Topics Arts and Industries Building Topic Home

The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest of the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine....
 museum
Museum

A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and entertainment", as defined by the International Coun...
s on the National Mall
National Mall

The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the Capital of the United States. Officially termed by the National Park Service the National Mall & Memorial Parks, the term commonly includes the areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to...
 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
  Called initially the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of its growing collections. The building, designed by architects Adolf Cluss
Adolf Cluss

Adolf Cluss was a Germany-born United States immigrant who became one of the most important architects in Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, responsible for the design of numerous schools and other notable public buildings in the capital....
 and Paul Schulze, opened in 1881, hosting an inaugural ball for President James A. Garfield.

The building was designed to be symmetrical, composed of a Greek cross with a central rotunda.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Arts and Industries Building'
Start a new discussion about 'Arts and Industries Building'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Arts and Industries Building is the second oldest of the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine....
 museum
Museum

A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and entertainment", as defined by the International Coun...
s on the National Mall
National Mall

The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the Capital of the United States. Officially termed by the National Park Service the National Mall & Memorial Parks, the term commonly includes the areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to...
 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
  Called initially the National Museum, it was built to provide the Smithsonian with its first proper facility for public display of its growing collections. The building, designed by architects Adolf Cluss
Adolf Cluss

Adolf Cluss was a Germany-born United States immigrant who became one of the most important architects in Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, responsible for the design of numerous schools and other notable public buildings in the capital....
 and Paul Schulze, opened in 1881, hosting an inaugural ball for President James A. Garfield.

The building was designed to be symmetrical, composed of a Greek cross with a central rotunda. The exterior was constructed with geometric patterns of polychrome brick, and a sculpture entitled Columbia Protecting Science and Industry by sculptor Caspar Buberl
Caspar Buberl

Caspar Buberl , was an American sculptor. He is best known for his American Civil War monuments, for the terra cotta relief panels on the Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio , and for the -long frieze on the Pension Building in Washington, D.C.....
 was placed above the main entrance on the north side. The interior of the building was partially lit through the use of skylights and clerestory windows. In 1883, the exterior was adjusted to use a more vibrant maroon-colored brick. In 1910 the natural history
Natural history

Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards the observational than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research that is published in magazines than in academic journals....
 collections were moved to the new National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History

File:Smithsonian Natural History Museum circa 1926.jpgThe National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.....
, and the old museum was given its present name. In 1964 the remaining exhibitions were moved to the National Museum of History and Technology, now known as the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history....
. In 1976, the Arts and Industries Building reopened with 1876: A Centennial Exhibition, featuring objects from across the globe that had been displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition

The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia....
. The building later housed temporary exhibitions and a children's theater, known as the Discovery Theater. In 2004 the museum was again closed for renovation. Its uncertain future and deteriorating condition led the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an United States member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities....
 to name it in 2006 as one of America's Most Endangered Places
America's Most Endangered Places

Each year since 1987 the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of places they consider the most endangered in America. The number of sites included on the list has varied, with the most recent lists settling on 11....
, an annual list of endangered historic sites.

External links