A new International Spy Museum (SPY) is to be built at the L’Enfant Plaza in Washington DC.
The museum will move 1.6km from its current location in Washington’s Penn Quarter.
The 140,000 square foot facility, which will open in 2018, was designed by UK architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and local firm Hickok Cole Architects.
Design features include a glass "veil" suspended in front of an enclosed "black box" exhibition space that will allow the movement of people to be visible from inside and outside.
This veil and black box reflects the museum’s "espionage-related themes of secrets revealed and hiding in plain sight".
Three hundred construction jobs are expected to be created during construction and 20% more staff will be work at the new larger facility.
The JBG Companies, owner of the majority of L’Enfant Plaza, will act as the owner’s representative during construction.
The non-profit museum hopes to be a "multi-faceted catalyst for transformation – not only for SPY, but also for the L’Enfant Plaza and 10th Street, part of the long-term vision for the Southwest Ecodistrict".
Last year officials considered moving the museum out of Washington before its lease expired.
Image courtesy of the International Spy Museum
