Washington, DC, USA

By reconfiguring the interior layout and adapting the exterior presence, Ennead Architects in collaboration with SmithGroup and Rockwell Group transform the former Newseum building into an optimized, state-of-the-art learning environment that reinforces the identity of Johns Hopkins University’s (JHU) new D.C. home and sparks a lively and active street presence.

The new JHU building is a revitalization of the former Newseum building (designed in 2008 by Polshek Partnership, now Ennead Architects), which was designed for use as a museum, including a long-winding ramp from top to bottom and a monumental façade featuring the first amendment.

The building establishes a strong identity for Johns Hopkins University within the District of Columbia with its prominent location along the axis connecting The White House and the U.S. Capitol Building and bridging between cultural and commercial precincts.

Dedicated to the role of journalism and free speech in our democracy, the Newseum building was characterized by transparency to create a visually open and intellectually accessible stage for the public to learn about and interact with the process of newsmaking throughout history.

Leveraging this transparency and honoring the intent of the Newseum building, the JHU building reinforces community by making the entry-level more visible and open to the street and by reinterpreting the facades and interiors to align with JHU’s own institutional mission.

The new JHU building reinterprets the original Newseum’s façade with a renewed material palette that reinforces Johns Hopkins’ institutional identity and reflects the surrounding historical context.

Maintaining much of the careful planning and alignments already established, subtle shifts in the façade components bring more natural light into the building to promote health and wellness within the interior.

This renovation simplifies and reorganizes the Newseum’s building plan.

Originally intended to accommodate a highly specialized and linear exhibit experience, the new plan reconfigures the floorplates to increase the building’s square footage, modifies the building systems to support JHU’s academic efforts and sustainability goals, and provides accessibility.

To support numerous University programs active in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and around the world, the building’s design emphasizes flexibility, allowing for responsiveness to the needs of multiple programs and emerging pedagogies.

The renovated building will offer convening spaces for experts, policymakers, and academic and policy leaders within a collaborative learning and working environment.

The new academic building will include classrooms, offices, conferencing space, and media suites.

The atrium of the building will feature a cascading “room stair”, a “room bridge”, a “beach” for informal gatherings, and a 370 +/- seat theater with pre-function space.

The building will also present several roof terraces, with stunning views of Pennsylvania Ave. and the Capitol Building. Restaurant and café spaces are being planned to complement the other amenities of this building.

Project: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center
Architects: Ennead Architects LLP.
Architect of Record: SmithGroup
Interior Design: Rockwell Group
Design Team: Richard Olcott, Kevin McClurkan, Felicia Berger, Alex O’Briant, Billy Erhard, Darla Elsbernd, Christina Fazio, Xiaoheng Hazel Hu, John Jordan, Kathleen Kulpa, Marianne Lau, Hyunjoo Lee, Mariel Mora Llorens, and Shelley Yang
Renderings: Bloom and Rockwell Group