The Newseum is designed by Polshek Partnership Architects that features seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces, and visitor services. It will open on Friday, April 11, 2008. The building’s total area — including the conference center, restaurant, offices, and apartments — is 643,000 square feet. The total project cost is expected to be approximately $450 million, including $100 million for the purchase of the site. It is located in a prestigious Washington D.C. area between the White House and the US Capitol.

The principle design guideline is a free press, free speech, and the embodiment of a free spirit for the world community. Each of the three museum building blocks has a unique programmatic mission. The first block — the “front page” of the Newseum — is the lowest, its height corresponding to the strong horizontal articulation of the Canadian Embassy. A pair of 250-foot-long trusses support the middle volume. Set furthest from the avenue, the third building blockhouses exhibit that require total protection from daylight.

The building features a glass-fronted “window on the world” facing Pennsylvania Avenue and a 74-foot-high, 50-ton marble tablet emblazoned with the 45 words of the First Amendment.
“This museum is a unique blend of fun and inspiration,” said Charles L. Overby, chief executive officer of the Newseum. “There is something for everyone here — history, games, films, big screens, photos, and major historical artifacts from around the world.”

The Newseum atrium, looking down over the seven-story, 250,000 sq ft building

Polshek Partnership’s projects have been published internationally and recognized with numerous awards for design excellence and for their important contributions to the cultural and civic life of their cities. Awards include the highest honor of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to an architecture firm, the Architecture Firm Award, received in 1992.

The Newseum will be a must-see in Washington D.C.