Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP

International Spy Museum

INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

AREA
140000.0 ft2

PHOTOGRAPHS
Nic Lehoux

PROJECT YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

MANUFACTURERS
Terrazzo & Marble

CATEGORY
Museum

CLIENT
The Malrite Company

ARCHITECT OF RECORD
Hickok Cole

DEVELOPER
JGB Smith

ARCHITECT/LEAD DESIGNER
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

MEP ENGINEER OF RECORD
Vanderweil Engineers

LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Available Light

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Michael Vergason Landscape Architects

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER OF RECORD
SK+A Engineers

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

Text description provided by architect.

The building reaches the city’s height limit of 130 ft from grade in just seven stories. Its most prominent features are the angled facades of the exhibit floors on the south and west sides of the site, encased in a black box.

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

Propped up on columns over an aligned, existing structure, the black box comprises the bulk of building including its exhibition spaces. This is a floating structure which creates public and private spaces for a combination of different uses.

The lobby and retail facilities are located within the double-height ground level space, with a mezzanine that holds an educational space for student and teacher workshops.

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

Above the ground-level lobby are the museum’s three main exhibition areas featuring floor heights of up to 20 ft. These include the ‘Special Exhibitions’ floor, the theatre, permanent exhibition and task-finding, as well as the future ‘Operation Spy’ space.

A metal staircase connecting these floors is suspended along the outside of the metal-panelled west facade and enclosed in a suspended glass atrium called the ‘Veil.’

Office spaces can be found above the exhibition floors and floating above these is the events space which is encased in a white box and crowned with a large, rooftop terrace.

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

The steel structure found within the events box gives the museum 60-ft spans with floor-to-ceiling windows arranged in a 180- degree span around the building.

These provide a platform for observing the Washington Monument and the Capitol, the National Cathedral and the Basilica, the District Wharf and National Harbour.

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux

With its large and slender, structural-steel beams extending upward from the site on L’Enfant Plaza in a predominantly concrete area of Washington, D.C., this type of architecturally expressed structural steel is unlike any other in the district.

The glass veil on the west facade protrudes from the building like a shining jewel, enticing people up toward it from 10th Street.

International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux


International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux


International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux
International Spy Museum
© Nic Lehoux


International Spy Museum
South Elevation
International Spy Museum
North Elevation
International Spy Museum
East Elevation
International Spy Museum
West Elevation


International Spy Museum
Ground floor plan
International Spy Museum
1st floor plan

International Spy Museum
Site Plan


International Spy Museum
Details 01
International Spy Museum
Details 02
International Spy Museum
Details 03
International Spy Museum
Details 05
International Spy Museum
Details 04


International Spy Museum
Diagram 01
International Spy Museum
Diagram 03
International Spy Museum
Diagram 04
International Spy Museum
Diagram 05
International Spy Museum
Diagram 02

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP
T +44 20 73851235 F +44 20 79907882
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP
The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall St, London EC3V 4AB, United Kingdom