Digging Deeper | Cultural/Worship
National Geographic Museum of Exploration Is 100,000-sq-ft Gateway to a World of Wonders
The National Geographic Society’s new Museum of Exploration, a 100,000-sq-ft combination of new construction and existing space renovation, celebrates the spirit of adventure. For nearly 140 years, the organization has shared the world’s natural and cultural wonders with millions through storytelling channels ranging from its iconic yellow-bordered magazine to the real-time immediacy of social media.
This summer, it will add a new dimension to the educational mission in opening the enlarged museum at its Washington, D.C., headquarters campus.
Designed by architect Hickok Cole and built by HITT Contracting, the project’s combination of construction and renovation will add technology-rich immersive experiences and curated exhibits that are intended to capture and convey the spirit that has led generations of explorers to the literal and figurative ends of the earth, discovering examples of both timeless history and accelerating change.
For that reason, says Ryan Sokoloski, the society’s vice president of facilities & capital planning, the new museum had to stand apart in a city already filled with such venues.
Rather than craft just another commercial building, Hickok Cole took its design cues from the natural world. Wall ribbons lining the 400-seat auditorium are derived from wind-sculpted sand forms, while the grand pavilion’s 45-ft oculus is surrounded by curved acoustical ceilings that emulate rain-dappled ponds. “We wanted it to ‘feel’ like National Geographic, with curved forms that mimic those of nature and tie together seamlessly with the exhibits,” Sokoloski says.
An artist’s rendering of the exterior front courtyard of the renovated National Geographic Society headquarters and Museum of Exploration, opening in 2026.
Visualization by REDVERTEX, based on designs by Hickok Cole Architects Inc.
Internal Integration
The adage that some adventures are as close as one’s backyard could well describe integrating the new museum project into the four-building society campus, which includes the Classical Revival-style Hubbard Hall, built in 1904, and others that were added and expanded from 1931 to the early 1980s.
While portions of the new museum could occupy renovated spaces in the existing buildings while preserving their historic aspects, “it was pretty clear we would have to do an independent structure,” says Jason Wright, Hickok Cole director of technical operations.
Members of the Hickok Cole and HITT team then undertook their own exploration through the campus’ underground gallery passage and three-level garage to ensure there were clear paths for the 15,000-sq-ft structure that will serve as the museum’s main entrance.
HITT’s subgrade work eventually included drilling micropiles up to 60 ft deep to bedrock and installing pile caps and structural steel. During that time, the team had learned a great deal about building areas that would undergo renovations, adds Joe Kmiecinski, vice president of site operations at HITT.
The National Geographic Society Gardiner Greene Hubbard Memorial Hall in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Leet Brothers/National Geographic
“We were prepared to encounter all kinds of construction from the past century,” he says. “Our attitude was that we’d deal with whatever we found. We developed a strong plan, proceeded slow and chipped away at finishes, ready for anything.”
Wright agrees that coordination with the construction team was critical, particularly for routing building systems and related infrastructure.
“We wanted it to ‘feel’ like National Geographic.”
—Ryan Sokoloski, Vice President of Facilities & Capital Planning, National Geographic Society
“We have so many of these grand ceilings with multiple layers of plaster,” Wright explains. “Once that goes up, you’re not getting back up there. Coordination of structure pathways has been huge with the subcontractors.”
Because all buildings would remain occupied throughout construction, HITT developed hundreds of procedural methods for tasks such as draining chillers to make connections and scheduling power outages. The team also put a priority on dust control and engaged an industrial hygienist to perform baseline indoor air quality monitoring and management.
At the same time, Sokoloski says, the team sought to keep all society employees abreast of project activities and progress.
“We conducted regular hardhat tours so that they’d know the source and reason for the drilling and other noises they were hearing,” he says.
Some of the pavilion’s structural steel weld connections took up to six days to complete because the large 32,000 lb beams (W40x503) not only had to be sized to fit through tight city streets but also had to be spliced so they didn’t exceed the tower crane’s weight capacity. During installation, beam splices were erected on temporary scaffolds and then welded in place.
The National Geographic Society’s project team designed, fabricated and installed a grand staircase utilizing an existing opening in the concrete slab.
Photos by Kristen O’Connor/National Geographic
Storytelling Through Technology
While the Museum of Exploration focuses on wonders of the natural world, advanced construction planning tools have played an integral role in helping transfer the design from concept to reality. In addition to extensive use of 3D modeling tools, HITT enlisted Boston Dynamics’ robot dog “Spot” to assist with laser scanning and geo-tagging building features.
“What used to require a large team to collect and process all this information almost seemed to be available instantly,” Kmiecinski says. “It was a real glimpse into the future of construction.”
Sokoloski also credits the project team for helping incorporate the society’s high standards for sustainability into the museum through an innovative combination of building systems and materials that have the structure on track for LEED Platinum certification.
Instead of using carbon-intense lightweight concrete for the project’s floor decks, structural engineer Arup suggested using normal-weight concrete with a 3/8-in. layer of cementitious fireproofing material sprayed on the bottom—a change that Sokoloski says reduced carbon emissions by 20%.
“It was a real glimpse into the future of construction.”
— Joe Kmiecinski, Vice President of Site Operations, HITT
In addition, concrete knee walls that extend metal decking use air gaps for insulation, eliminating the need for polystyrene material. More than 80% of stormwater is captured on site through elements such as a 48,000-gallon cistern that uses rainwater for toilet flushing and make-up water for cooling towers.
Perhaps the museum’s signature sustainability element is its millwork. Instead of using oak as originally specified, the project team sourced 130,000 board feet of salvaged ash trees damaged by the invasive emerald ash borer beetle, which has spread across the country during the past 30 years.
“We were able to create these intricate geometric forms in the building model and share it with our millwork supplier, who optimized it for constructibility,” Sokoloski says. “It’s been great to see this come to fruition.”
Fit for a Grand Opening
With most major construction completed in 2025, the last few months have focused on wrapping up interior finishes, final inspections and systems commissioning, along with exhibit installations and fit-out of the retail store and food concession areas.
“The last 5% of the project is always the toughest,” Kmiecinski says. “As our subs have left and National Geographic’s vendors have come in for the exhibits, we’ve gotten acquainted with new groups of craftspeople to work with.”
Although reports at the start of construction estimated that the museum would cost $250 million, the society has yet to disclose a final figure. A spokesperson says that it is “profoundly grateful to institutional donors and partners for helping bring this extraordinary project to life.”
What is certain, Sokoloski says, is that like any successful expedition, preparation and teamwork were the keys to success.
“All the planning and logistics we did three to four years ago has really paid off,” he points out. “With large multiyear projects, it’s common for design team, contractors and sometimes the owner to start butting heads because you want this to get done. That we were able to create and sustain a great team environment from start to finish, honestly, that’s the thing I’m proudest of.”