National Law Enforcement Museum, Washington D.C.

by Paul Deffenbaugh | 1 October 2019 12:00 am

Davis Buckley Architects and Planners (DBA) designed the 55,000-square-foot National Law Enforcement Museum primarily below grade with two above-grade pavilions: East Pavilion and West Pavilion. The two steel-framed, glass pavilions serve as the entry and exit to below-grade. Solid cores, set within each pavilion, enclose the building’s mechanical systems, fire stairs and elevators and maximize the transparent area of the pavilions.

Davis Buckley, FAIA, president at DBA, says, “The light, painted steel framing of the arching lamella roof structures of the entry pavilions proved to be an ideal system to provide highly transparent pavilions, while articulating the architectural forms of the pavilions. Daylight streams through the pavilions, animates the public spaces and eliminates the sense of being below grade. Above grade, the core’s louver cladding regulates the fresh air supply and exhaust. Below grade, perforated stainless steel and woven steel mesh wall panels provide the needed durability, acoustical benefits and elegant finishes needed. Throughout the building, stainless steel finished elements such as the escalators, elevators, handrails and cladding unify the design.”

The National Law Enforcement Museum is adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, at the center of Judiciary Square.

“Entering the museum through the East Pavilion, visitors descend a floating grand stair, over the exhibit hall, to the ticketing and visitor level,” Buckley says. “Visitors then continue along a curving bridge which provides a view across the expanse of the two story exhibit space. The exhibit level includes a variety of interactive exhibits, a changing exhibit gallery, and the Hall of Remembrance, which relates the museum to the memorial.”

At ground level, the pavilions’ framing is painted steel tubes, pipes and cables. The structural connections between the glass and framing are stainless steel. The framing around the pavilion glass is extruded aluminum profiles with an anodized finish. All public interior doors are Forms and Surfaces Inc.’s Hatch pattern stainless steel. The louvers around the top of the pavilion core are aluminum with an anodized finish.

At the ticketing/visitor service level, there is McNICHOLS Co.’s stainless steel metal panels, Forms and Surfaces’ metal wall panels in Linen pattern in both perforated and nonperforated, Forms and Surfaces’ perforated stainless steel benches, Forms and Surfaces’ stainless steel column covers in the Hatch pattern, painted structural steel framing consisting of hollow structural sections (HSS) profiles for the stair from the East Pavilion and for the motorized shades located in both pavilions, brushed stainless steel handrails, brushed stainless steel cladding on the escalator going up to the West Pavilion, all public doors are brushed stainless steel.

At the exhibit level, there is McNICHOLS’ stainless steel metal wall panels, Forms and Surfaces’ metal wall panels in Hatch pattern in both perforated and nonperforated, Forms and Surfaces’ perforated stainless steel benches, Forms and Surfaces’ Linen pattern perforated metal ceiling panels, painted structural steel framing consisting of HSS profiles for the stair from the ticketing level, Pittcon Industries’ Series 1500 aluminum painted metal column covers, stainless steel cladding for the escalator going up to the ticketing level and stainless steel doors.

Josef Gartner USA supplied its painted steel framing, aluminum louvers, aluminum framing for glass and perimeter edge channel. American Iron Works (AIW) Inc. supplied and installed its exposed, painted structural steel framing for the grand stairs and shade canopies, structural steel concealed bridge framing and stainless-steel handrails.
“Metals were selected for both structural and aesthetic components of the building because of how they expressed the desired aesthetics of strength and durability while proving to be economical and easy to fabricate and install at a challenging site,” Buckley says. “The range of available finishes and visual appearance of a permanent material were essential and metal components were able to readily address these needs.”

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/projects/national-law-enforcement-museum-washington-d-c/

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