Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup - a team consisting of architects [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
- has won a competition to design the National Museum of African
American History and Culture on National Mall in Washington DC, USA.

Their design was chosed from a shortlist of six by the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
The other shortlisted architects were Foster & Partners, Pei Cobb
Freed, Moshe Safdie, Devrouax & Purnell Architects, Diller Scofido
& Renfro and Moody Noland with Antoine Predock.

Here’s some info from Davis Brody Bond Aedas:
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Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup Selected for National Museum of African American History and Culture
Smithsonian Announces Design Competition Winner for $500 million Addition to the National Mall

Washington, DC, April 14, 2009 —The Smithsonian today announced that
Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup has been chosen as the architectural
team to design the National Museum of African American History and
Culture to be located on the National Mall near the Washington
Monument. The selection was made by a jury chaired by Museum Director
Lonnie G. Bunch III. Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup was among six
architectural firms that entered a design competition in January.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with this talented
team,” said Bunch. “Their vision and spirit of collaboration moved all
***** of the design competition jury. I am confident that they will
give us a building that will be an important addition to the National
Mall and to the architecture of this city.”

Steven M. Davis, FAIA, Partner of Davis Brody Bond said, “This is an
obviously exciting day for us. The opportunity to design a landmark
building on the last great site of the National Mall is something
beyond our dreams. The experience working with this fantastic
collaboration of Phil Freelon and David Adjaye has been immensely
gratifying. Considering the strength of the competition, we are truly
honored to have been selected.”

This project represents the culmination of the career and legacy of
J. Max Bond, Jr., FAIA who died on February 18, 2009 in the middle of
the design competition phase. Steven Davis, FAIA, affirms, “The joy of
this moment comes with mixed emotions. Max Bond who was my partner for
over 20 years worked tirelessly in conceiving the programming and
design of our submission. We miss him especially on this incredible
day.”
Freelon Adjaye Bond said in its design concept materials, “The
National Museum of African American History and Culture—the institution
and the building—embodies the African American spirit. Majestic yet
exuberant, dignified yet triumphant, the building will be worthy of the
museum’s vision, and its prominent place on the National Mall.”
The core design team selected by the Smithsonian consists of three
firms—The Freelon Group, Adjaye Associates, and Davis Brody Bond. The
Freelon Group will ensure that the design reflects the values and
priorities of the museum and the Smithsonian. The Freelon Group
designed the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco and the
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture in
Baltimore. Adjaye Associates will focus on the formal development and
refinement of the building design. Adjaye Associates designed the Nobel
Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in
Denver. Davis Brody Bond will have the primary role of assuring
adherence of the design to the program and vision. Davis Brody Bond is
the Design Architect for the National September 11 Museum and, as
Associate Architect, is executing the design of the National September
11 ***** at the World Trade Center. The firm also led the
restoration and expansion of the New York Public Library. The Smith
Group joined the FAB team to provide the resources necessary for
delivering the design documents. The SmithGroup is an international
architectural and engineering firm with offices in Washington, D.C.,
that designed the Normandy American Cemetery Interpretive Center in
France. This unique collaboration combines a multi-generational
understanding of African American culture with the ability to execute
one of the nation’s most significant civic institutions.
The Freelon Group and Davis Brody Bond led the programming study for
the museum which was completed in the fall of 2008 and are intimately
familiar with the mission of the museum.
The building design will take up to three years, with construction
to begin in 2012. Set to open in 2015, the museum’s total cost is
estimated to be $500 million, including design. During the design
phase, the Smithsonian will seek approval from the National Capital
Planning Commission. In addition, the Institution will continue to
consult with other Washington, D.C., agencies and organizations,
including the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation, the National Park Service and the National
Coalition to Save Our Mall.
Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup was one of 22 teams that responded to
the Request for Qualifications in summer 2008. The six firms selected
to participate in the design competition were announced in January
2009. The National Museum of African American History and Culture was
established in 2003 by an Act of Congress. Although it does not have a
building yet, the museum is collecting artifacts; conducting seminars
and symposia, including a recent two-day program on Black Power;
gathering African American oral histories for StoryCorps, a joint
program with National Public Radio and the Library of Congress; and
creating traveling exhibitions such as “Let Your Motto Be Resistance.”
In addition, the museum has its own gallery in the National Museum of
American History, which currently is exhibiting “The Scurlock Studio
and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise.”
About Davis Brody Bond Aedas:
Headquartered in New York and with offices in Washington, DC; São
Paulo, Brazil; and Seattle, Washington, Davis Brody Bond is among the
nation’s leading architectural design firms. Known for innovative
solutions to complex design challenges, the firm’s work encompasses
university facilities, housing, corporate offices, industrial and
institutional buildings. The firm has been honored with more than 100
major design awards including the American Institute of Architects Firm
Award, the highest honor given to an architectural practice as well as
the 2000 Presidential Design Award for Excellence.
Among it’s commissions are such diverse projects as a new infill
building and restoration of the historic New York Public Library, the
Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center at Northwestern
University, research facilities for Harvard University, industrial
facilities in Central and South America for Valeo, the Data Processing
and Administrative Center for the U.S. Census Bureau, and the master
planning and design of a new university in Zimbabwe. Davis Brody Bond
is the Design Architect for the National September 11 Museum and, as
Associate Architect, is executing the design of the National September
11 ***** at the World Trade Center.

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Posted by Marcus Fairs from dezeen.com