Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup

"At its best, architecture is the physical manifestation of a culture's highest ideals. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)—the institution and the building—embodies the African American spirit. Majestic yet exuberant. Dignified yet triumphant. Of the African Diaspora yet distinctly African American. The NMAAHC will be a building worthy of the museum’s vision—and its prominent place on the National Mall."