What the Air and Space Museum will look like after its seven-year renovation

The National Air and Space Museum is about to undergo a nearly $1 billion overhaul that will replace all 23 exhibit areas as well as reface the marble facade, replace the outdated HVAC, and construct new vestibule and queuing areas. The multi-phase project will begin the summer of 2018.

With the news to revitalize and transform one of the world’s most visited museums, the Smithsonian Institution released some renderings that offer a sneak peek into what some of the new exhibit areas will look like. Three of the exhibits previewed include “A Nation of Speed,” “Destination Moon,” and “Exploring the Planets.”

There will also be newly acquired pieces in the exhibitions, including the Nemesis NXT Air Racer, the first kit-built airplane to fly faster than 400 miles per hour. The new exhibits will open in 2021.

In a statement, Peter Jakab, chief curator, said, “The icons people associate with the National Air and Space Museum are as inspiring today as they were when they made history, but through stimulating new exhibition techniques and innovative digital engagement, we will tell exciting and relevant stories in ways that resonate with our modern communication-savvy world that can be readily shared with broad audiences.”

To learn more about the cost of the project and to see renderings of the refurbished facade planned, head to this Curbed DC article.

• Smithsonian Air and Space Museum to get radical ‘reimagining’ [WTOP]

• Air and Space Museum to start seven-year, nearly $1B overhaul by the summer of 2018 [Curbed DC]