ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL BEGINS CONVERSION OF HISTORIC WASHINGTON, DC SITES INTO A NEW MUSEUM
armradio.am
05.09.2007 16:45
The Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGMM) announced that its
Building and Operations Committee signed contracts with Washington
area firms specializing in museum planning and construction to begin
the development and construction of a stellar museum in the historic
National Bank of Washington building and adjacent properties.
AGMM selected two firms previously invited to submit proposals for
the site.
The Committee awarded its phase one museum planning contract to the
prestigious firm of Gallagher & Associates, which specializes in
the planning, design and management of innovative, informative,
and immersive experiences for museums, learning facilities and
visitor centers. Based in the Washington area, this premier
museum planning firm has steered to completion numerous projects
ranging from exhibit and visitor centers at Jamestown Settlement in
Virginia and the Gettysburg National Battlefield in Pennsylvania,
to a multimedia re-creation of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival in
New York. Significantly, Gallagher & Associates was also selected by
the United States National Archives to showcase its vast collection
of historic documents in a new permanent exhibit on the Washington
Mall. The firm also designed the Montreal Holocaust Museum and has
commenced master planning for the new Woodrow Wilson Presidential
Museum. The Gallagher proposal for AGMM was reviewed by leading
scholars in the fields of Armenian and genocide studies.
The Committee also awarded a phase one contract to the firm of Martinez
& Johnson Architecture, , which is recognized in
Washington for its expertise in the design of complex, multi-functional
facilities, as well as the restoration of architecturally significant
buildings. Most recently the firm renovated the Boston Opera House,
regarded as a masterpiece of American Baroque architecture. Among
many other projects in the District of Columbia, Martinez & Johnson
renovated and converted the landmark Gothic Revival structure known
as the Alban Towers facing the National Cathedral. The firm will be
preparing plans for the complete renovation and restoration of the
onetime bank structure, whose exterior and interior are designated
as landmarks on the National Register of Historic Buildings, as well
as its conversion into a public space for exhibit and community use.
The two firms also have a track record of cooperation on a number of
museum projects including the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
in Frederick, Maryland, and the National Music Center and Museum in
Washington, DC.
Presently they are collaborating on The Artists Hall of Honor and
Museum of the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center.
With their announcement the Committee thanked Hirair Hovnanian,
Chairman of AGMM, who has characteristically stepped up with financial
contributions to allow this phase of development to go forward,
and Anoush Mathevosian, who first proposed the idea of an Armenian
Genocide museum in Washington, for their continued commitment to the
project, which has reached a new stage towards the goal of seeing a
memorial museum in the United States become a reality.
Van Z. Krikorian, in his capacity as chairman of the AGMM Committee,
which was fully authorized to proceed with all aspects of the project’s
development and operation, added: "Despite reports that this project
might not get off the ground, I am delighted to inform opponents that
their expectations will not be met. The Committee, Hirair Hovnanian,
Anoush Mathevosian, the Armenian Assembly of America, and all of our
friends are resolved to build this center in our nation’s capital. Here
the Armenian Genocide and its legacy will be properly memorialized
and explained through innovative exhibits and a state-of-the-art
museum facility. The future museum will be located at an exceptional
site in the heart of Washington, steps from the White House, and will
include special emphasis on the role of the United States in genocide
prevention and punishment."
Krikorian is joined on the AGMM Committee by Denise Darmanian,
Esq., Edele Hovnanian, Richard Papalian and Zaven Tachdjian, all
of whom have brought their experience and strong commitment to the
Armenian community to work with the two outstanding firms that will
plan, design, and assemble the museum. The Committee also assigned
Dr. Rouben Adalian, Director of the Armenian National Institute (ANI),
to lead the exhibit planning and historical depiction process.