By CRISTINA FERNANDEZ-PEREDA
Observer staff
April 9, 2008

Photo by FEDERICA VALABREGA.
“The Newseum opens to the public on Friday, April 11.”

“Architecture is often referred to as frozen music. For me, standing in front of you today, is a frozen dream,” Newseum architect James Polshek said to members of the news media during a presentation at the Newseum’s Annenberg Theater yesterday.

The Newseum building resembles the page of a newspaper for some. For others, it looks like a big, old camera. For you, it might be closer to a television set.

Architect Robert Young, an associate partner with Polshek’s team, describes the architecture components of the Newseum building.Audio by CRISTINA FERNANDEZ-PEREDA.

“All of those things are part of our thought process when we were looking for ways to help the project become iconic in its own way. I think one of the joys of a project is that is large and has such depth of content is that we ask the public to make their own choices,” said Robert Young, an architect working with the Polshek Partnership, which is in charge of the building.

Photo by FEDERICA VALABREGA.
Newseum architect James Polshek speaks at the media preview day.

Young described different interpretations of the building, such as a camera pointing to the National Gallery, right across Pennsylvania Avenue or the Mall; a camera that is looking inside, with main screen that welcomes visitors as the film that’s recording what is happening around it, and even a camera that’s looking at the world in general.

“It’s interesting that the museums’ architecture is meant to go away. In this case it’s meant to participate, there’s no separation between the content and the design of the building. They are talking about the same ideas, it’s meant to be reinforcing; and having people talking about how the glass was done or what makes the atrium space the way it is, these are wonderful moments for us,” Young said.