Inside, the five-story building houses 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, an 85-foot-tall atrium and a 200-seat theater. The terracotta and glass building is topped out with a beacon of light which is meant to symbolize themes of faith and patriotism. The color of the terracotta blends in nicely with the surrounding Federal-style brick buildings.
But the terracotta of the building isn’t just for aesthetics — it’s part of a back-ventilated rainscreen system by Shildan Inc. This system was developed in Europe in the last half of the twentieth century and it has many benefits — energy efficiency, humidity control, long term durability, the elimination of most maintenance. LEED points can be earned from recycling the terracotta and aluminum material. In this case, the aluminum support system is also manufactured with 62% recycled aluminum sourced within 300 miles of the museum. By using an innovative system and eliminating off-gassing from sealants, additional benefits to the environment were achieved. The result is a state-of-the-art museum that is as functional as it is visually appealing.
