National Museum of the United States Army

"A 10-year design arc, more than 245 years of American history, 45,000 sq ft across nine galleries, a 300 ft long, media rich connecting concourse and the LED revolution. These are the elements that came together to make up the robust lighting system for this exhibition featuring macro-scale artifacts, immersive media, synchronized A/V presentations, cast figures, dramatic tableaus and more. To ensure a dynamic experience that transports visitors through time and place, designers implemented a strict three-part lighting strategy. Part One: 27 ft tall black-box spaces with high powered, narrow beam framing projectors as workhorse luminaires. Part Two: custom, curved light track for consistent illumination on the curvilinear walls of the galleries. Part Three: fiber-optic spotlights clamped to rods specifically for lighting artifact cases. The hierarchy of illumination created by the multipronged scheme is imperative not only to visitors' comprehension of displays, but to the guests' circulation through the space. Though each gallery focuses on an important juncture in American Army history and has its own story to tell-either through layers of theatrical light or varied brushstrokes of illumination on graphic panels-designers kept some lighting elements consistent from gallery to gallery for the sake of continuity and clarity."

Exhibit Lighting Design: Available Light
Exhibit Track and Lighting Fixtures: Lighting Services Inc