National Veterans Memorial and Museum 2014-2018

Designers: Ralph Appelbaum Associates, New York, New York, USA
Client: National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Columbus, Ohio, USA

The National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM)—officially designated by the federal government as a national museum—honors veterans past and present who have served the nation from the Revolutionary War to the present. Built on the Scioto River in downtown Columbus, the building’s stunning structure consists of a spiraling concrete pathway ascending to a green rooftop sanctuary, connected to a 2.5-acre grove. What sets the NVMM apart is its focus away from wars and historical events to the lives and stories of individual U.S. service members and their families.

Our vision was to create a repository for the stories of veterans and their families while also engaging non-veterans to connect to the universal human values and struggles revealed in these stories. To accomplish this mission, the goals of the Museum as expressed by the Veterans Advisory Committee were to: Honor the veterans; Inspire people to serve; and Connect civilians and veterans; we also worked closely with the Advisory Committee to add a fourth goal for the project—Educate visitors and young people.

In our approach to integrating the experience into the architecture, we established a narrative path which unfolds with the synergy of the building itself. The corresponding storyline evolves in phases: Leaving home to answer the call; Being in service; Returning; Becoming a veteran. Each exhibit is anchored by a cinematic sequence of large-scale images of veterans while incorporated materials and finishes—such as steel frames—evoke various aspects of military service. Films and interactives take visitors on an emotional journey as they hear veterans describe their experiences. Adjacent to the sequence of thematic exhibits, a timeline of major conflicts through American history are described in tandem in the stories of individuals who served.

The exhibits and media were conceived to not only tell the veterans’ experience, but to motivate visitors to reflect on the meaning of service in its broadest sense, and to highlight the inspiring qualities and civic engagement of those in service and post-service. The culmination of the journey explores how the tools utilized and values embraced during military service are carried by veterans into their post-service civilian life. The experience pays tribute to the many ways that veterans have continued their service, and demonstrates how valuable their contributions are in building civic societies.

Today, NVMM is a living tribute to over 40 million Americans who have served the nation since its founding. The museum also engages in local and national outreach on veterans’ issues, along with the broader issue of civic responsibility and the celebration of public service.