Skip to main content

Search

Donate

Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Hours and Admission
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Tips and Guidelines
    • Accessibility
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX Theaters
  • Explore
    • Art & Design
    • History & Culture
    • Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Smithsonian Snapshot
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile Apps
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer and Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
  • Learn
    • For Kids and Teens
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Professional Development
      • Events
    • Youth Programs
    • Fellowships and Internships
  • Join Us
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Work with Us
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • About Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Make a Gift
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Organization
      • Leadership
        • Secretary Bunch
        • Administration
        • Advancement
        • Communications
        • Education
        • Museums and Culture
        • Science and Research
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Records Request Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Architectural History of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 1969

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Addthis Share Tools

    • Print

Object Details

Subject
Bunshaft, Gordon 1909-1990
Hirshhorn, Joseph H
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Army Medical Library and Museum Building
Category
Chronology of Smithsonian History
Ewing, H., & Ballard, A. (2009). A guide to Smithsonian architecture. Washington: Smithsonian Books.
Summary
Groundbreaking for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden occurred in January, 1969, although legislation supporting a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art was passed as early as the 1930s. Latvian immigrant Joseph Hirshhorn donated his extensive modern art and sculpture collection, along with the funds to build the museum. Hirshhorn stated that he wanted to repay the United States for what it had done for him, afforded him opportunities that he would not have been afforded anywhere else in the world.
The modern building design was met with controversy from those who opposed a building on the National Mall that was so stark opposite the existing buildings. It stands on the site of the original Army Medical Museum.
The design of the Hirshhorn Building subscribes to the modern architecture notion that "form follows function." Architect Gordon Bunshaft was chosen to design the building, and being an art collected himself, he had ideas about how contemporary art should be displayed. Circulation and flow were very key elements in the design, as were interior, windowless galleries to display those works that are light sensitive.
The perfectly geometrical cylindrical building was built using precast concrete mixed with crushed pink granite. The building is elevated, sitting atop four large pillars thus leaving the large plaza open for displaying sculptures and for visitor enjoyment. The circular fountain that was installed became one of the museum's key features. There is only one window in the entire building, a panoramic view window that faces the National Mall.
The outdoor Sculpture Garden was envisioned in the plan since the beginning, presumably because Joseph Hirshhorn displayed most of his sculptures on the outside lawn of his Connecticut home. The museum opened to the public in 1974.
Contact information
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
1969-1974
20th century
Type
--Modern
--21st Century
Place
Washington (D.C.)
Smithsonian Archives - History Div
Topic
Museum architecture
Art, Modern
Sculpture gardens
Art museums
Granite
Architecture
Architecture, Modern
Record ID
siris_sic_14441
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply

Related Content

  • 1969: A Year in the Collections

  • The Art of Architecture

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Smithsonian 175
  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Human Resources
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top