Jun
21

Today in Smithsonian History: June 21, 1983

Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, Vice President George Bush, and Secretary S. Dillon Ripley at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Quadrangle Complex, June 21, 1983. The Washington Monument is visible in the background.

Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, Vice President George Bush, and Secretary S. Dillon Ripley at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Quadrangle Complex, June 21, 1983. The Washington Monument is visible in the background.

June 21, 1983 Ground is broken for the new Center for African, Near Eastern, and Asian Cultures, also known as the Quadrangle, which will house the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the National Museum of African Art, and the International Center.

Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives

An aerial view of the Quad looking north on Independence Avenue. The Freer Gallery of Art is in the foreground. (Photo by Eric Long)

An aerial view of the Quad looking north on Independence Avenue. The Freer Gallery of Art is in the foreground. (Photo by Eric Long)

Render_Exterior_Dusk

The Smithsonian’s proposed Master Plan for the South Mall campus—the museums and gardens along Independence Avenue S.W., from Seventh to 12th streets, includes the revitalization of the Castle, with expanded visitor services; new Mall-facing entrances to the National Museum of African Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery; and improved visibility and access from the Freer Gallery of Art to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

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Posted: 21 June 2019
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