isometric - northeast
The Portal Museum is an art gallery and sculpture garden in Washington DC. The exterior is intentionally austere, affording a showcasing of the sculptures on display.
elevation - north
The museum is situated in an open field behind the National Arboretum, to the north. To the east, the National Capitol Columns sit, and to the west, a single Corinthian column capital sits on a pedestal. The axial relationships of these original landmarks informed the organization of the museum in plan.
The museum "portal" aligns with the north-south orientation and faces the National Arboretum, as this is the most common direction of approach. The portal defines a primary axis for organizing the museum's plan. The secondary axis of the museum is east-west, aligning with the two existing landmarks in the field.
site section - cc
site plan
The approach frames the portal as a point of interest but denies direct access. As you proceed, the path cuts further into the landscape, isolating this segment of the field to an elevated central green space. This transforms this central green space into the pedestal for the largest sculpture. This initial procession establishes the language that makes up the rest of the surrounding landscape - paths carving the rolling field into terraced and segmented planes. This language gives the structure a sense of rootedness in the site.
interior of the "Portal"
elevation - south
section - AA
elevation - east
section - BB
physical model - 3/16" = 1'-0"
