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Facilities. Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) URL. https://www.si.edu/Museums/smithsonian-institution-building. Year. Completed in 1855, the Castle is our signature building and home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. Measurements. Gross Exterior: approx. 153,000 sq. ft. Gross Interior: approx. 126,000 sq. ft. Location.
The Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as the "Castle," was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr. The building is constructed of red sandstone from Seneca Creek, Maryland, in the Norman style (a 12th-century combination of late Romanesque and early Gothic motifs).
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books. Summary. Construction began on the Smithsonian Institution Building better known as the Castle in 1846. The building was designed by renowned architect James Renwick, Jr., (1818-1895) who won the design competition for the building.
The Smithsonian Institution’s first building, the Castle, was designed by architect James Renwick. Until 1881, it housed all aspects of Smithsonian operations, including research, administration, lecture and exhibit halls, library, laboratories, collections storage, and living quarters for the Secretary.
The Smithsonian Institution area around the National Mall. Construction began on the Smithsonian Institution Building ("the Castle") in 1849. Designed by architect James Renwick Jr., its interiors were completed by general contractor Gilbert Cameron. The building opened in 1855.
The Smithsonian Institution Building, the “Castle,” is the Institution’s first home and its symbolic heart. The Arts and Industries Building opened in 1881 as the first home of the National Museum. Together, these two buildings comprise the Smithsonian’s Historic Core.
The goal of architects was the creation of a modern style that assimilated Western architectural traditions with new building materials and methods, principally iron used as both a structural and decorative element. The Smithsonian Institution is an outstanding example of this creative process of eclecticism.
