New York City is building a $70 million museum devoted to telling the 130-year history of Lady Liberty. And now, new renderings are here.
Set to open in 2019, will be located on Liberty Island in New York City.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 6, and unveiled the renderings of the museum, which will be designed by the NYC-based architecture firm FXFOWLE. The project is a collaboration between the foundation, which manages the island and the statue, and the National Park Service.
Entry to the museum will be included in the ferry ticket ($18 for adults) to Liberty and Ellis Islands.
Check it out.
The new museum will face the Statue of Liberty on the opposite side of Liberty Island.
(credit: Ellis Island Foundation)
The 26,000-square-foot space will be divided into four main areas.
The first section — the entrance — will feature a “Liberty Star Mural” consisting of 50 star sculptures. The pieces will made from iron bars that Gustave Eiffel (who built the statue and designed the Eiffel Tower) created to support the statue. The bars were used for 100 years, but were removed in 1986.
Three theater spaces will also offer an introduction to the history of the statue.
Another area, called the Engagement Gallery, will allow visitors to learn more about the statue’s construction through artifacts and other interactive exhibits, which will be created by the firm ESI Design.
Before visitors exit, they can add their own photos and signatures to an interactive wall.
The museum will also feature tons of outdoor space, including a grass-filled plaza and roof. The museum’s exterior and interior will both be constructed out of the same materials as the Statue of Liberty, such as Stony Creek granite, bronze, and plaster.
“The Statue of Liberty is not just one of the most recognized monuments in the world, but an international symbol of hope that deserves to have her story shared with everyone who visits Liberty Island,” Stephen Briganti, the president of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation said in a statement.
