Smithsonian Castle

2013-2015 | WORK FOR HIRE | VITAL

For over 160 years, the Great Hall of the Smithsonian Castle has served as a place of orientation for Smithsonian visitors.  To further this tradition, in the fall of 2013, the Smithsonian Office of Visitor Services (OVS) initiated an ambitious, visitor-focused redesign of the historic space to improve the visitor experience for the nearly 2 million people who go to the Castle every year.

As VITAL’s project leader and primary designer for this project, I worked closely with my colleagues and the museum stakeholders to simplify, organize, and unify the space.  With improved information desks, an interactive planning map, and an immersive video experience, the new Great Hall will be essential to visitors discovering their Smithsonian.  Phase One of the Great Hall Project was completed in January 2015.

Project Responsibilities: Needfinding & Discovery, Journey Mapping, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation, Wayfinding Graphics, Construction Administration, Proposal Writing, Client Relations