The Patent Office Building, a National Historic Landmark that houses the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, opened in July 2006 after an extensive renovation. The museums, located between Seventh and Ninth streets and between F and G streets N.W., are known collectively as the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, in honor of the museums' largest donor, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

New Features and Enhancements to the Building
The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery share a main entrance on F Street (south side of the building); the G Street (north) entrance serves tour groups and provides access to the shared museums' store and to exhibitions. Full circulation on all three floors for the public—one of the goals of the renovation—has been restored. Previously, parts of the building were blocked off for office space. [Staff has been relocated to a nearby building at 750 Ninth St. N.W.]

There are four significant new spaces that were made possible through generous private donations:

• Lunder Conservation Center—the first art conservation facility that allows the public permanent behind-the-scenes views of the museums' preservation work. Conservation staff from both museums is visible to the public through floor-to-ceiling glass walls that allow visitors to see firsthand all the techniques that conservators use to examine, treat and preserve artworks.
• Luce Foundation Center for American Art—the first visible art storage and study center in Washington, which features more than 3,300 objects from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's permanent collection in secured glass cases.
• Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium—a new 346-seat facility located on the lower level
• Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard—a dynamic year-round public gathering space with a new glass enclosure designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners who were assisted with the interior landscape design by Katheryn Gustafson of Gustafson, Guthrie Nichol Ltd. The enclosed courtyard opens to the public Sunday, Nov. 18.

About the Renovation
In the 1990s, the Smithsonian decided to restore the building. It was clear the aging infrastructure of the building needed replacement along with other structural repairs, including roof replacement. The intention also was to reveal for the first time the full magnificence of the building's exceptional architectural features, such as the porticos modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, a curving double staircase, colonnades, vaulted galleries, large windows and skylights as long as a city block. Extraordinary effort was made to use new preservation technologies to restore the historic fabric of the building.

The building's infrastructure was replaced with entirely new building systems, such as electrical and plumbing, new passenger elevators and an accessible entrance via a ramp at G Street. Original marble floors were restored, six skylights were exposed and worn tiles in the Great Hall were replaced with historically accurate replicas made in England. More than 550 windows have been replaces with a laminated glass that contains an energy shield. Each window also includes a hand-blown exterior glass panel that creates the look of historic glass. Now, natural light illuminates many galleries in both museums.

Funding for the Renovation
The Smithsonian undertook a public-private partnership to restore the building and create innovative new public facilities and public programs. Federal funds—$166 million from Congress—supported improved infrastructure. Private support for the renovation totaled nearly $117 million.

Square Footage in the Building
There is 152,500 square feet of exhibition space in the renovated building, a 57,000-square-foot increase of available gallery and public space before the renovation. The total space in the renovated building—382,000 square feet—includes three public floors with mezzanines, the enclosed courtyard, auditorium, lower level and service facilities. The 57,000 square feet of exhibition space for the National Portrait Gallery includes the Great Hall and the America's Presidents installation. The 95,000 square feet of exhibition space for the Smithsonian American Art Museum includes the Lincoln Gallery and the Luce Foundation Center for American Art. The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard is 28,000 square feet. The Archives of American Art gallery on the first floor is 500 square feet.

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Note to Editors: Additional information about the renovation project is available at http://newsdesk.si.edu/photos/.

SI-363A-2007