The Kogod Courtyard

Occupying the historic former United States Patent Building, the Smithsonian Institute houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Buro Happold worked with architects Fosters + Partners to construct a fully glazed roof canopy to enclose the courtyard, providing a centrepiece for the museum and a venue for concerts and public performances.

The elegant triple wave design was created from steel girders set on a diagonal grid, covering an area of 80m by 40m. The steel, aluminium and glass canopy maximises the natural light entering the courtyard, while the design incorporates appropriate environmental and acoustic controls. A key feature of the roof is the inclusion of sufficient acoustic cladding to reduce reverberation to a level acceptable for musical performances. The design also had to include the capability to withstand earthquakes and blast loads.