Exhibit_Design_for_Smithsonian_National_Air_and_Space_Museum_.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER 33330218RT0010031

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

DESIGN OF EAST END EXHIBITS

Questions regarding RFP due on May 11, 2018 9:00 am EST

Proposals due via email on June 7, 2018 9:00 am EST

A. GENERAL INVITATION

The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) National Air and Space Museum (NASM) hereby invites you to submit a proposal to develop and design 10 state-of-the-art exhibitions to the 65% design development stage. The design contract is expected to be awarded at the end of September 2018. The 65% work needs to be completed not later than April 2020 in order to turn over to a fabricator. All of the exhibitions will open to the public no later than August 2024.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals must be submitted in two distinct files. An email response is acceptable followed up by four hard copies of the technical proposal and one hard copy of the business proposal. PROPOSALS MUST

BE RECEIVED VIA EMAIL NO LATER THAN June 7, 2018 9:00 am EST. The email response should be submitted to Debra Berke, Contracting Specialist at berked@si.edu. Make sure to receive acknowledgement via email to know that your proposal has been received by the Smithsonian

Institution and was not rejected due to the 18 mb size limit of the incoming mail server. Provided that the electronic copy is received at the above email address by the above stated deadline, the hard copies should be received no later than June 11, 2018 11:00 am EST. Deliver the hard copies to Debra Berke at the following address:

Delivery by U.S. Postal Service

Smithsonian Institution

Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management

Attn: Debra Berke

P.O. Box 37012, MRC 1200

Washington, DC 20013-7012

-or-

Delivery by Commercial Carrier (Federal Express, UPS, etc.) or Hand Delivery

Smithsonian Institution

Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management

Attn: Debra Berke

2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 350

Arlington, VA 22202-3709

Section B – Supplies/Services and Prices/Costs

B.1. Type of Contract

The Smithsonian (herein referred to as “Smithsonian” or “SI”) intends to award one firm fixed price contract for Phase I and a Not-to-Exceed (NTE) amount for optional Phases II – V to the identified Offeror (referred to in the alternative as “Contractor” and/or “Vendor”). The Contractor shall furnish all supervision, labor, materials, equipment and facilities necessary to produce the work as specified below.

The scope of work is to design exhibits to 65% completion, completion of graphics to 100%, and

Construction Administration. A Fabricator under a separate contract to will take the design from 65% to

100% fabrication/shop drawings documents, fabrication, and installation of the new exhibits.

This solicitation has a minimum requirement that offerors must have had experience designing at least two complex exhibits that integrated objects, images, and multimedia, in a space that is at minimum 65,000 sq./ft. in the last 7 years with at least one being completed. A submission form to document the minimum experience is provided in the attachments under section J.12 Past

Performance Factor Templates.

B.2 Services

B.2.1. The Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Mall building is located at 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. NASM is seeking a design firm to develop and design state-of-the-art exhibitions. Ten (10) distinct exhibition areas fall under this RFP. NASM intends to contract with a single entity (prime contractor), but encourages interested parties who have worked together on full projects in the past to assemble a team in order to respond to all aspects of the requested scope. Partnerships are acceptable as long as they demonstrate that they meet the requirements and have worked together on a similar projects.

The exhibits’ titles, main messages, exhibition descriptions, and goals listed in section C.1.8 - Projects Descriptions are subject to change prior to the start of the charrette process.

1. Explore the Universe

2. TEXTRON How Things Fly

3. The Simulator Gallery

4. Moving Beyond Earth

5. Space Age

6. Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight

7. World War I

8. World War II

9. Flight and the Arts

10. Cold War in the Air

B.2.2. The selected firm (the “Contractor”) shall provide all professional, technical, and non-personal Exhibitions design services for the Exhibition to 65% Design Development, all of its components, and associated materials necessary for fabrication, space preparation, and installation of the new or revitalized exhibitions, in accordance with the requirements of Section C, and as otherwise specified in this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) and any attachments and amendments hereto (collectively referred to herein as the “Services”). The successful offeror will be expected to cooperate actively as appropriate with the Smithsonian’s project team for both Revitalization and Transformation projects (“Project Team”). The Project Team shall include, but may not be limited to, Designer of Record for the West End, the Designer of Record for the Commons, Construction Manager at Risk, and Designer of Record for Revitalization.

B.3 Budget

B.3.1. The Smithsonian Institution has estimated the total budget for this project, to include all Exhibition design requirements, construction, fabrication, and installation to be in the range of Forty million ($40 M) to Forty-Five million ($45 M) dollars (total for all 10 exhibits including all options). NOTE:

This total budget does not include the following, which have their own separate budgets and which will be handled by SI staff or awarded to third parties under separate contracts: artifact loans, conservation, mounting or bracketing fabrication.

B.3.2. Smithsonian Institution will hold the Contractor responsible for producing design packages that can be produced within the stated budget. The Contractor shall be required to redesign the package(s), at no additional cost, if they are not within the stated budget(s).

B.4 Pricing

The Contractor shall perform all Services in accordance with the requirements of this RFP for the Firm- Fixed and Not-to-Exceed (NTE) prices in Section C. and as further specified in the Contractor’s pricing proposal. This price shall include all direct labor, materials, communication, production and other direct costs as well as all indirect costs, subcontractor costs, commissions, and any other profit and expenses for which the Contractor expects payment. No additional charge shall be made by the Contractor for the requirements of this Contract, including but not limited to source and documentation, error correction, or expense for any other materials or services to be performed hereunder unless specified otherwise.

The Base Contract includes Phase 1 and the design is to 65% Design Development at which point the drawing package will be contracted to a fabrication firm to do the design detailing and shop drawings.

Use the Bid Sheet attached in J.12 to submit complete pricing and submit with the business proposal.

Submit Pricing Summary per the list below. Note that summary pricing is for the 10 exhibits included in this RFP.

Phase I: BASE BID - Familiarization and 10% Concept Design Services Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

Phase II: OPTION #1 - 35% Schematic Design Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

Phase III: OPTION #2 - 65% Design Development Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

Phase IV: OPTION #3 – Construction Administration and completion of graphics to 100% Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

OPTION #4 - Media Production (OPTION TO BE EXERCISED BETWEEN 35% and 65% DESIGN) (Refer to Section J.19 Media Production)

Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

OPTION #5 – Advancement Renderings (Refer to J.16 Advancement Renderings)

Total Contract (BASE BID plus OPTIONS 1 – 5)

Firm Fixed Price: $_____________________________________________

B.5. Travel and Per Diem

B.5.1 The Contractor shall obtain approval from the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) prior to any travel that is not covered in the base bid and/or the scope of work. The Contractor shall be reimbursed for pre-approved travel for actual transportation costs and travel allowances (per diem) of personnel authorized to undertake out-of-town, overnight travel under this contract outside of 50 miles from the National Mall Building. Such transportation costs shall not be reimbursed in an amount greater than the cost of economy class rail or of economy air travel, unless economy rail travel and economy air travel space are not available and the Contractor certifies to this fact in vouchers or other documents submitted for reimbursement. Travel allowances (per diem) shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Contractor’s established policy but in no event shall such allowances exceed the rates established in the Federal Travel Regulations.

B.5.2 If applicable, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for the cost of out-of-town, overnight travel performed by its personnel in their privately owned automobiles at the rate established in the Federal Travel Regulations not-to-exceed the cost by the most direct economy air route between the points so traveled. If more than one person travels in the same automobile, no additional charge shall be made by the Contractor for such travel.

B.5.3 No profit or fee (i.e., commission, G&A expense, overhead expense, etc.) shall be paid to the Contractor for any travel expenses hereunder.

B.5.4 Optional Services:

The Smithsonian Institution reserves the sole option to exercise the optional services. The awarded Contractor shall not commence work on the optional services without first receiving authorization from the Contracting Officer in the form of a written modification to the contract as signed by the Contracting Officer. If the Smithsonian Institution exercises some or all of the optional services, these optional services and their deliverables will be executed according to the same schedule as the Base Bid.

Section C – Description, Specifications, Statement of Work

C.1 Introduction

C.2 Summary Scope of Design Services and Design Requirements

C.3 Phase I: Base Bid: Familiarization and 10% Concept Design Services

C.4 Phase II: Option #1: 35% Schematic Design

C.5 Phase III: Option #2: 65% Design Development

C.6 Phase IV: Option #3: Construction Administration and completion of graphics to 100%

C.7 Correlation and Intent

C.1 Introduction C.1.1 Background The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is one of the world’s most visited museums. Its vast collection of one-of-a-kind aerospace materials is housed in three locations, the National Mall building, the Udvar-Hazy Center (UHC), and the Paul E. Garber Facility, and displayed in two, the National Mall building and the Udvar-Hazy Center. The collections are varied and include everything from coins and pins, paper items, uniforms, and space suits to large aircraft and spacecraft. The National Mall building has approximately 250,000 square feet of exhibition space on two levels with 23 themed galleries. (The Udvar-Hazy Center has approximately 825,000 square feet of display space on several levels.) The Museum attendance is approximately 7 million people a year.

C.1.2 Revitalization NASM’s National Mall building (NMB) is undergoing a building wide renovation, which will be referred to as `Revitalization,’ involving replacing the exterior stone and the interior mechanical systems as well as most of the walls, shoring up some of the floor, and modifying the entrances among other things. Every single interior space and artifact will be affected including the exhibition galleries that will have to be almost completely renovated. Revitalization will include providing the infrastructure for new and more interactive exhibits and technologies. The project will replace all building systems, including electrical and telecommunications; lighting to accommodate both large artifacts and electronic media; data and power to allow flexibility for portions of the Exhibition that will change more frequently; and better energy consumption to comply with the Smithsonian’s sustainable design goals to create a LEED-certified space. The Museum is using this opportunity to rethink its exhibition program and install new or updated exhibitions. The museum will remain open to the public during the design, fabrication, and installation of East End exhibits. The Smithsonian’s Construction Manager has provided a plan to phase the construction of the Revitalization project. Phase 1 of Revitalization entails improvements to the west half of the building, and Phase 2 will continue improvement of the east end. The CMc’s phasing plan for the Revitalization project will determine access to construction efforts and public visitation to the NASM Mall Building through the end of 2024.

The successful offeror will be expected to cooperate actively as appropriate with the Smithsonian’s project team for both Revitalization and Transformation projects. The Project Team shall include, but may not be limited to, Designer of Record for the West End, the Designer of Record for the Commons, Construction Manager at Risk, and Designer of Record for Revitalization.

C.1.3 Transformation All the exhibitions at NASM will be removed by gallery, on a phased basis, as part of the Revitalization Project. Transformation is divided into three parts: the West End Exhibit Design (100% drawings are under review and scheduled to be completed by the award of this contract), the Commons Design (which are scheduled to be awarded on or about April 30), and the East End Exhibit Design, which is being awarded under this RFP. Transformation will follow the Revitalization project’s schedule installing exhibitions as soon as the black boxes are available so that the Museum’s spaces are closed for a minimal amount of time, but construction efforts for Revitalization will likely overlap with completion of East End exhibits. Nine exhibitions in the West End of the building have been designed and will be going to a fabricator in the fall of 2018. Another contractor will be designing the hallway and terraces spaces, the Commons Design, as well as making sure that the entrance areas in all of the exhibitions are coherent. The Commons Designer will also be working with the artifacts that belong to East End exhibits but will hang outside of those exhibits in the hallway spaces, and they will work with the East End design firm to design and engineer those displays.

C.1.4 Coordination with other contractors - The contractor will be required to coordinate their efforts as appropriate with the other contractors currently doing design work, construction work, and construction management for the museum and the Smithsonian. For example, the entrances and hallways outside of the galleries will be designed by the Commons Designer and will require close coordination for architectural, exhibitry, and content development. The Smithsonian’s Project Team, as described herein, shall provide information and review of relevant design and construction documents as they become available during the Project.

C.1.5 Terminology and Abbreviations

Revitalization: Building renovation being done by SI architecture and construction contractors. For additional information, please see public solicitations F16SOL10023, F16SOL10024, F16SOL10063 and

F16SOL10064.

Transformation: Exhibitions that will be designed and fabricated by exhibit design and fabrication contractors in cooperation with the Smithsonian’s Project Team for Revitalization.

New: new design

Renovated: an existing exhibit that will be recreated with enhancements in a new gallery space

Updated: an existing exhibit that is staying in its space but needs to have updates

Gallery: the room that holds the exhibitions

Exhibition: the cabinetry, graphics, multimedia, and artifacts that are in the gallery

Interactives: audio-only pieces, video-only pieces, video pieces with audio, and computer interactives

Mechanical Interactives: interactives focusing on a kinetic and/or tactile learning experience

Tactiles: touchable models

PM: Project Manager

DM: Design Manager

NASM: National Air and Space Museum

UHC: Udvar-Hazy Center

SF: Smithsonian Facilities

MEP: Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing

C.1.6 Projects Overview

Exhibition #1

Working Title: Explore the Universe Gallery Location: Gallery 109 Target Opening Date: August 2024 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 5000 sq. ft., ceiling height 20 ft.

Subject Areas: We use new tools to expand how we see and think about the universe.

Target Audience: Families with children 5th grade or older (some experiences are for younger children)

Target “Design-to” number: $4,255,646.22* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-003

Exhibition #2

Working Title: TEXTRON How Things Fly Gallery Location: Gallery 110 Target Opening Date: December 2024 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 6000 sq. ft., ceiling height 20 ft.

Subject Areas: Four forces guide the design and function of everything that flies.

Target Audience: Middle school, as students and with their families Target “Design-to” number: $4,840,908.63* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-006

Exhibition #3

Working Title: Simulators Gallery Location: Gallery 111 Target Opening Date: April 2025 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 4700 sq. ft. first floor, ceiling height 20 ft.

Subject Areas: Simulator rides and simulator history Target Audience: Middle and high school students Target “Design-to” number: $1,141,460.46* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-009

Exhibition #4

Working Title: Moving Beyond Earth Gallery Location: Gallery 113 Target Opening Date: April 2025 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 4800 sq. ft., ceiling height 20 ft.

Subject Areas: We continue to seek ways for humans to live permanently in space/ Maintaining a permanent human presence in space is difficult.

Target Audience: Families Target “Design-to” number: $3,267,645.17* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-008

Exhibition #5

Working Title: Space Age Gallery Location: Gallery 114 Target Opening Date: December 2024 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 11,800 sq. ft., ceiling height 50 ft.

Subject Areas: Space Age technology permeates human experience, from instant communication to instant warfare.

Target Audience: Middle and high school students Target “Design-to” number: $2,921,711.04*

NASM Project Number: E-061-16-005

Exhibition #6

Working Title: Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery Location: Gallery 208 Target Opening Date: August 2023 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 7500 sq. ft., ceiling height 25 ft.

Subject Areas: 1920s and 1930s pioneers pushed boundaries and blazed new trails in the air.

Target Audience: Families with young children Target “Design-to” number: $2,306,177.70* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-002

Exhibition #7

Working Title: World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation Gallery Location: Gallery 209 Target Opening Date: August 2024 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 5300 sq. ft., ceiling height 25 ft.

Subject Areas: World War I was the laboratory that forged modern aviation and redefined warfare.

Target Audience: 11th grade students and older Target “Design-to” number: $4,704,564.77*

NASM Project Number: E-061-16-004

Exhibition #8

Working Title: War in the Air: World War II Gallery Location: Gallery 210 Target Opening Date: December 2024 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 7000 sq. ft., ceiling height 25 ft.

Subject Areas: WWII transformed aviation while aviation transformed the nature and scope of war.

Target Audience: 7th grade and older Target “Design-to” number: $6,333,734.01* Needed Services: Exhibition design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-007

Exhibition #9

Working Title: The Art Gallery Gallery Location: Gallery 211 Target Opening Date: April 2025 Duration of Exhibition: 50 years Size of Gallery: 4500 sq. ft. first floor, 2900 sq. ft. second floor; ceiling height

10 - 26 ft.

Subject Areas: A space for displaying artwork related to aviation, spaceflight, and planetary science.

Target Audience: Visitors age 12 and up Target “Design-to” number: $2,288,448.06* Needed Services: Interior design NASM Project Number: E-061-16-011

Exhibition #10

Working Title: Cold War in the Air Gallery Location: Gallery 213 Target Opening Date: April 2025 Duration of Exhibition: 20 years Size of Gallery: 5000 sq. ft., ceiling height 25 ft.

Subject Areas: The global conflict between the U.S. and Soviet Union, known as the

Cold War, redefined aviation technology, the nature of warfare, and the experience of daily life.

Target Audience: High school and older Target “Design-to” number: $4,535,489.37*

NASM Project Number: E-061-16-010

* The project “Design–to” numbers include everything required to deliver a functional gallery with the exception of the following cost: the exhibit design cost, the project contingency, escalation, artifact movements, conservation, and mounting. (Exhibit Design Contractor shall design and engineer the artifact mounts).

C.1.7 Submittal Due Dates:

The contractor shall begin work upon receipt of the notice to proceed and pursue the work diligently in accordance with the date schedule established therein. Your assessment of the schedule shall be provided monthly to the PM. Submittal documents listed in Attachment J.10 Deliverable Schedule to be delivered to all locations by close of business (COB) on the submittal due date.

DURATIONS CALENDAR DAYS

GOV’T REVIEW

Pre-Concept/Charrette 40 working days*

10% Design, Concept Design Services 112 working days* 15 working days*

35% Design, (Schematic Design) 110 working days* 20 working days*

65% Design, (Design Development) 130 working days* 20 working days*

* To be negotiated prior to contract award.

C.1.8 Projects Descriptions The exhibits’ titles, main messages, exhibition descriptions, and goals listed here are subject to change prior to the start of the charrette process. The contractor will collaborate with the museum staff and incorporate any adjustments to the main message, exhibition description, and goals during the charrette portion of this scope.

Exhibition #1 – Explore the Universe

Exhibition Space Gallery 109 is a windowless gallery approximately 5000 square feet with a 20 ft. ceiling and a separate entrance and exit. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description.

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the conceptualization, transformation, and creation of a new exhibition gallery and visitor experience using the Museum’s one of a kind collection and content expertise. This is an existing exhibit that will be redone in a new space during Transformation.

Main Message We use new tools to expand how we see and think about the universe.

Exhibition Description The exhibition presents the key technologies that made detecting new universes possible: the telescope; photography; spectroscopy; electronic detection; digital signal processing and data processing; detectors capable of sensing the entire known spectrum of light, from gamma rays to radio waves; access to space. When humans only had the eye as our means of detection, we used simple sighting devices to chart the motions of the planets, sun and moon, and assumed that the Earth was at the center of the universe. But ever-improving sighting devices (example: Tycho’s equatorial armillary) eventually revealed inconsistencies and anomalies. When the telescope (example: Galileo's telescope) was invented, those inconsistencies and anomalies were shown to be hints that the earth was not the center of the universe, so we focused on the Sun as the center of a universe of stars. The continued development of the visual telescope led to Herschel’s systematic observations to gauge the extent of the universe – and his question, “what are the nebulae?” (example: Herschel's 20-foot telescope) When we added photographic detection and recording to enhance the power of telescopes, Edwin Hubble answered Herschel‘s question, showing that we are in a universe of galaxies, not just stars

(example: the Newtonian Cage from Mount Wilson). Then, with the addition of spectroscopy to the telescope, Hubble and others realized that the universe was not static, but expanding, into what and from what we could only wonder. (examples: Mills Spectrograph; Palomar Prime Focus Spectrograph) In more recent years, we’ve adapted electronic and digital techniques for sensing the universe, and high-speed digital means to analyze the data flow. From there we found quite soon that the universe was far more complex than what we see with our eyes, telescopes, cameras and spectrographs. (examples:

Holmdell Horn pigeon trap; Woody-Richards balloon payload; COBE; WMAP; HUT) There is matter that does not radiate in any way we’ve found, and there’s a source of energy that is pushing the expansion rate of the universe ever faster into oblivion. (Examples: DTM spectrograph; Cerro Tololo Blanco BTC, HST 1/5th scale model; Chandra 1/5th scale model; Neutrino detector; Faint Object Spectrograph) Recent discoveries have opened an entirely new way of studying the universe: gravitational waves.

(Example: LIGO, Weber Bar). Given that, over the past 500 years, whenever we changed our tools of perception of the universe, our understanding of what the universe is has changed profoundly. So that’s why astronomers constantly seek new and more powerful ways to Explore the Universe.

Exhibition Goals

· Visitors will be able to give examples of new tools that have transformed our understanding of the Universe. These might be theoretical (like a model of the solar system) or advances in technology (like telescopes).

· Visitors will appreciate that answers in astronomy raise deeper questions

Exhibition #2 – TEXTRON How Things Fly

Exhibition Space Gallery 110 is approximately 6000 square feet with a 20 ft. ceiling and a separate entrance and exit. There are windows on the south side as well as two window wells open to the second floor above. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the conceptualization, transformation, and creation of a new exhibition gallery and visitor experience using the Museum’s one of a kind collection and content expertise. This is an existing exhibit that will be redone in a new space during Transformation. Unlike other NASM exhibitions, How Things Fly will consist of approximately five dozen mechanical, electro-mechanical, digital, AV, and tactile interactives. Many of these interactives will require detailed concept development, prototyping/testing, and evaluation. In addition, all interactives will need to be designed to be easily maintained, easily replaced, and durable enough to withstand the millions of visitors the How Things Fly gallery receives annually—all while being incorporated into immersive, active environments. The interactives in this exhibition should not, however, appear compartmentalized or temporary, and the exhibition should not appear to be a traveling exhibition.

Main Message Four forces guide the design and function of everything that flies.

Exhibition Description "How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight? Why do you become "weightless" in space? How can you propel yourself there, with no air to push against? These and many other questions will be answered in How Things Fly, a gallery devoted to explaining the basic principles that allow aircraft and spacecraft to fly.

How Things Fly is a more like a science center exhibition. The emphasis in How Things Fly will be "hands-on." Dozens of interactive exhibits will invite guests to push, pull, press, lift, slide, handle, touch, twist, turn, spin, bend, and balance. In this exhibition guests will discover answers to things they've always wondered about flight. Guests will explore the nature of gravity and air; how wings work; supersonic flight; aircraft and rocket propulsion; flying in space; and more.

The primary message of the existing gallery will remain the same, namely to present and explain the origins and nature of the four forces of flight – lift, drag, thrust and weight. Hands-on, staff-lead programming is also a crucial component of this exhibition. Programming throughout the exhibition, and program-specific spaces need to be incorporated into the design. The objective is to help the visitor to better understand why the flight vehicles displayed on the floor are shaped the way they are. Properly explained, illustrated, and demonstrated using analogies based on familiar experiences and relevant artifact connections, these concepts can be understood in an intuitive way by guests with no scientific or technical background."

Exhibition Goals Through hands-on exhibits, immersive environments, and educational programs, visitors will...

1) Better understand what the four forces of flight are and how they impact things that fly.

2) Better understand why engineers design flight vehicles to look the way they do.

3) Better understand how design (i.e. form) relates to flight vehicle function.

Exhibition #3 – Simulators

Exhibition Space Gallery 111 is a windowless gallery approximately 4700 sq. ft. with a ceiling height of 20 ft. There is a single entrance/exit. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the conceptualization of some new exhibitry for the Museum’s simulator experience. Currently, the simulator rides exist in another location and the Museum wishes to enhance the experience with objects and content from the collection. A separate Smithsonian entity, Smithsonian Enterprises, will be responsible for the simulator rides and the Contractor will work with them and NASM to enhance this experience.

Main Message Simulators train pilots and aircrews.

Exhibition Description The transformation of the simulator gallery will allow for incorporation of next generation simulation technologies and to allow a better melding of the vendor-operated revenue function with a small addition of interpretive content and/or artifacts that depict the contextual significance of flight simulation – something not done in either the current simulator galleries or interpretive spaces.

Exhibition Goals A principal goal of the new gallery is to better integrate the simulator gallery into the museum’s interpretive space and link the simulator experience with the other exhibitions in keeping with the IPOP model [Ideas (conceptual, abstract thinking), People(emotional connections), Objects (visual language and aesthetics), and Physical experiences (somatic sensations)]. Atmosphere would be provided by hanging graphic treatments or wall projections of historic simulators and aircraft. The entryway could mount the Rockwell HiMAT, an unmanned NASA high maneuverability demonstrator that looks like a futuristic fighter plane.

Exhibition #4 – Moving Beyond Earth

Exhibition Space Gallery 113 is a windowless gallery approximately 4800 square feet with a 20 ft. ceiling and a single entrance/exit. This is an existing gallery that will be renovated/upgraded during Transformation. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the transformation of this exhibition gallery and visitor experience. This is an existing gallery which will be renovated/upgraded during Transformation to meet current fire and life safety codes. All non-fireproof materials will be replaced which includes all casework and graphic panels.

Main Message Achieving and maintaining routine spaceflight and a permanent human presence in space proved more difficult than imagined. We continue seeking new ways for humans to explore space.

Exhibition Description First opened to the public as a programming and interactives space in late 2008, Moving Beyond Earth is both a traditional exhibition and the primary programming space for the Museum. From astronaut presentations on Family Days, to conferences, to the successful “What’s New in Aerospace” series, the exhibition offers a uniquely designed space for both artifact-based historical narratives and innovative public programming. Those include live broadcasts, webcasts, and recording digital videos. The installation of the traditional exhibition, however, was done in a piecemeal fashion, with portions open to the public while other sections were under design, construction, and installation.

Sub-optimal acoustics and production set design are among the issues that yield less than ideal video products for our digital audience. Although the gallery has proven successful and popular with visitors, the incremental process left the original vision of curators, designers, educators, video production team, and outreach staff essentially incomplete. Our intent is for this Transformation plan to remedy those inadequacies, creating a cohesive narrative and state-of-the-art production space.

This exhibition is a multi-purpose space: a traditional museum exhibition that serves as a venue for public presentations and live video programs broadcast on television and streamed on the Internet.

Producers use five robotic cameras, a circular stage and two large screens (used daily for looped video content) for projection of images and video. The audio/visual components in the gallery are operated through a control room on a separate floor.

Live program examples:

https://youtu.be/_biLyU1Ik0w (STEM in 30) https://youtu.be/R5b7D4Wp6mM (What’s New in Aerospace?)

Taped program example:

https://youtu.be/_590N46WRsA (STEM in 30) https://youtu.be/_biLyU1Ik0w https://youtu.be/R5b7D4Wp6mM https://youtu.be/_590N46WRsA

As part of the redesign, NASM’s intent is to strengthen the quality of the space as a venue and production space, taking into account the final product. As NASM has limited staffing resources, the new design should include ways to streamline setup/take down for production/presentations. The position of the stage is open to change. NASM will provide production studio requirements. Acoustics, production lighting, camera positioning, set design, optimal audience seating, video playback monitoring and control room integration are other components that need consulting.

For a transformed Moving Beyond Earth, we are proposing to fulfill that original vision, bring successful concepts up to date, and refine content to create layers of information across the physical and virtual presence of the exhibition. In reviewing the recent evaluation results, the exhibition team feels that the content can be refined to better fit visitor needs and expectations while maintaining the most successful elements. Those survey results reflect a need for a more substantial “Building a Future” section, which requires regular revisions to remain current.

Our approach to developing Moving Beyond Earth included a great deal of collaboration, a process standard for all new exhibitions. Many concepts, such as highlighting personal stories and making connections to related artifacts at the Udvar-Hazy Center, already exist in the exhibition, and these will be maintained if not strengthened. The Transformation team seeks to build on the successful elements of the current exhibition, employing available and additional evaluation results to fine tune the visitor experience, especially refinement of the major electronic interactives.

Exhibition Goals

● Visitors will learn how complicated and dangerous it is to reach low-Earth orbit.

● Visitors will learn what it is like to live and work in the microgravity environment of space.

● Visitors will learn about the latest technologies being developed for continued access to orbit and beyond.

Exhibition #5 – Space Age

Exhibition Space Gallery 114 is approximately 11,800 sq. ft. with a ceiling height of 50 feet. There is a window wall, floor to ceiling, on the north side of Gallery 114 as well as a full ceiling of skylights. There is a recessed area in the floor called the Missile Pit that holds large rockets. There is a large space station, Skylab, which will not be moved. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the conceptualization, transformation, and creation of an upgraded exhibition gallery and visitor experience using the Museum’s one of a kind collection and content expertise.

Main Message Space Age technology permeates human experience, from instant communication to instant warfare.

Exhibition Description The development of large-scale rocket technology during and after World War II ushered in the Space Age and transformed life on Earth. Out of the Cold War came ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, systems that soon threatened a global nuclear catastrophe. Launch vehicles also allowed us to launch satellites and astronauts into space. Space systems have fostered arms control, international peace, economic growth, global interconnectedness, human space exploration and a new understanding of the universe.

This exhibit will introduce visitors to the ways that the Space Age has transformed their lives and will demonstrate that military and civilian applications of rocketry and space technology have been intertwined from the outset. The gallery will provide insight into many space applications that are largely invisible to the public and understanding of the vulnerabilities of these systems. This gallery will take visitors through the history of rocketry and the space age from the end of World War II to as close to the present as we can.

Education Goals

· There is an increasingly sophisticated infrastructure orbiting the Earth.

· Our dependence on an orbiting infrastructure makes us vulnerable.

· Rocket Technology gives us access to space.

· Space age technology can be used in many ways.

· Having access to space has given us a better understanding of the Earth and ourselves.

Exhibition #6 – Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight

Exhibition Space Gallery 208 is approximately 7500 sq. ft. with a ceiling height of 25 feet. The gallery space is open on one side to the second floor corridor. It contains 2 window wells that are open to the floor below with windows on the south side. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the transformation of this exhibition gallery and visitor experience. This is an existing gallery which will be renovated/upgraded during Transformation to meet current fire and life safety codes. All non-fireproof materials will be replaced which includes all casework and graphic panels. There are plans to modify the design of the education areas, including the hangar and the early childhood area. Some modifications will need to be done to the position of artifacts around the new Lockheed Sirius dock and more protection for the wingtips of the World Cruiser.

Main Message 1920s and 1930s pioneers pushed boundaries and blazed new trails in the air.

Exhibition Description Aviation in the 1920s and ’30s had it all. Excitement. Innovation. Adventure.

Celebrity. The heralded and those of little or no public acclaim blazed new trails—technically, economically, socially—in all aspects of flight. Charles Lindbergh electrified the world with his solo crossing of the Atlantic and then made pioneering survey flights with his wife, Anne. Amelia Earhart showed that women could be leaders in aviation. Jimmy Doolittle thrilled crowds with his daring racing and helped advance aviation as a test pilot. Robert Goddard’s most lasting legacy was his promotion of the idea that the rocket could be used as a vehicle for spaceflight. American military fliers flew across an ocean, a continent, and around the globe for the first time, shrinking the concepts of time and distance.

Advances in aeronautical technology led to the modern, high-performance airplane. The military potential and applications of flight were defined and tested in broad and ambitious ways. It was also the era when aviation as we know it today came of age. During these years, flight began to touch the lives of more and more people. Despite discrimination, African Americans proved themselves to be contributors to aviation. Increasing numbers of people traveled on airliners or flew their own airplanes.

Spectacular air races and exhibitions and record-setting flights fueled excitement about aviation. The many contributors to this exciting new world of the air were the Pioneers of Flight.

The Pioneers of Flight gallery has had many additions and changes since opening with the building in 1976 though, with a few exceptions, the core large aircraft have remained the same. Conceived as a second tier milestones gallery, it featured more “firsts” and record-setting aircraft from the era known as the Golden Age of Flight. The most extensive renovation occurred in 2010 using funding from the Conrad Hilton Foundation gift for the upgrade of existing galleries. Pioneers became the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery through the addition of a large number of artifacts, new scripts detailing the pilots, people and broader topics of the era, new design, and the addition of films, interactives, a hands-on airplane hangar, and early childhood programming and educators. Audience engagement extends throughout the gallery via “family labels,” mechanical and computer interactives, old-fashion flipbooks, toy boxes with vintage toys at toddler height, and inclusive child programming in the Early Education area. The gallery theme returned to the original 1920s and 30s era and it will remain essentially “as is” with the addition of new design and interactive features.

Exhibition Goals Through visual, audio, and tactile experiences and early education programming, museum visitors will learn about various aspects of flight and Air-mindedness from the 1920s/1930s.

Learning Objectives

· Visitors will become familiar with an aviation pioneer, pioneering aircraft or flight.

· Visitors will understand the air-mindedness of the era.

· Children will become familiar with an aircraft hangar and its contents.

Exhibition #7 – World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation

Exhibition Space Gallery 209 is a windowless gallery approximately 5300 square feet with a 25 ft. ceiling and a separate entrance and exit. There will be a doorway between Gallery 209 and Gallery 210 (World War II) so as to link the content. Initial concepts utilize the space outside the gallery entrance for the hanging of one of the aircraft. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. (Refer to J.18 Black Box Narrative)

Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the conceptualization, transformation, and creation of a new exhibition gallery and visitor experience using the Museum’s one of a kind collection and content expertise.

Main Message World War I was the laboratory that forged modern aviation and redefined warfare.

Exhibition Description World War I saw the first extensive military application of the airplane only slightly more than a decade after the invention of the basic technology itself by the Wright brothers in 1903. Military aviation did predate the First World War with the use of balloons for simple reconnaissance in the American Civil War, and by the French in 1859 in a conflict with Austria, and again in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War. But the airplane as a major weapon of war emerged in World War I.

This exhibition will detail that story and will explain that WWI was essentially the "laboratory" for the creation of air power concepts, strategies, and tactics used during the rest of the twentieth century, and to a great extent still today. World War I in general was in so many ways foundational to the subsequent history of the twentieth century. Indeed, the current conflicts in the Middle East, modern relationships between European countries, and the place of the United States in world affairs are rooted in World War I. The aviation story is no different. The way air power is organized and deployed today still resembles the foundational elements put in place during the First World War.

Exhibition Goals: Visitors will:

• Understand World War I aviation, like WWI in general, was foundational in numerous ways, especially with regard to the development of air power.

• Learn World War I aviation was fundamental to establishing the aircraft industry, which has been extraordinarily influential thereafter, both from military and civilian perspectives.

• Grasp the flying experience in World War I was very different than modern military flying, and tested the pilots beyond the combat aspect of their flying.

• Consider the nature of cultural memory of major historical events and understand how that changes over time.

Exhibition #8 – War in the Air: World War II

Exhibition Space Gallery 210 is approximately 7000 square feet with a 25 ft. ceiling and a separate entrance and exit. There are two window wells with south facing windows and open to the floor below which will be built out by 10 ft. There will be a doorway between Gallery 210 and Gallery 209 (World War I) so as to link the content between the two exhibitions. Areas just outside this gallery are also to be used for the display of three of the aircraft, if it is feasible. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences.