Tour: National Museum of the American Latino's Molina Family Latino Gallery

LA.IDEA organized a special tour of the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Mall on Thursday, August 18, 2022 and it was a unique chance to hear directly from the Client and Architect about the design process and evolution of the first physical space the National Museum of the American Latino takes at the National Mall.

The tour was led by Eduardo Díaz, Acting Deputy Director, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino and Abby Tourtellotte, AIA a senior associate and project manager with Quinn Evans.

The Molina Family Latino Gallery recently opened in June 2022 at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) to celebrate the U.S. Latino experience. The 4,500-square-foot gallery presents bilingual stories for multigenerational and cross-cultural audiences featuring multimedia, physical objects, and first-person voices. The integration of digital and physical exhibition features makes for a rich environment, accessible to all and very much at the forefront of what inclusive design is. Special attention was dedicated during the design process to the sensory maps of the space, balancing a wealth of sensory stimulation that is spatially organized so that people with different abilities can interact with the exhibits.

The gallery works as a mini museum, containing different programming areas with multiple potential forms of interaction between user and art/information. It includes an Educational Room that can be used for podcast recording, public events, children’s play area, and a wonderful library containing toys and books in English and Spanish that are related to the stories told throughout the exhibition.

It was an honor to visit this gallery! Special thanks to our hosts and attendees. You can see it for yourself at the National Museum of American History.