Museums in Washington Get $2 Billion 'Revitalization' Plan

The Smithsonian Institution announced a major overhaul of its museums in Washington along the south side of the National Mall that could cost $2 billion before completion by 2036.

The focal point of the project is a "revitalization" of the mid-19th century iconic Smithsonian Castle that will include shops, cafes and the restoration of its Great Hall.

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Other facets of the project include an expansion of the Hirshhorn contemporary art museum, underground and overground links between museums, and major building repairs.

The so-called Master Plan, drawn up by the Danish international architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, is subject to approval by the National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency.

"The proposed Master Plan will be implemented over a 10-to-20-year period beginning in 2016," the Smithsonian said in a statement that estimated the total cost at $2 billion.

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One of the largest and finest cubist collections in the world, painstakingly pieced together by a US billionaire and pledged to the Metropolitan Museum in New York opens to the public on October 20.

Funding would come from public and private sources, it said.

Source-AFP

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