MacArthur Research + Educational Center Breaks Ground
The MacArthur Memorial is breaking ground on the expansion and renovation of the Jean MacArthur Research and Educational Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Designed by Hanbury, the approximately 29,800-square-foot project combines the renovation of the existing research center with 20,000 square feet of new construction, bringing together archival storage and processing, research, education, exhibitions, and administration.
The project expands the Memorial’s facilities for the preservation and study of its collections, which include the personal papers, documents, and artifacts of General Douglas MacArthur. Moving classrooms and administrative functions into the addition allows archival storage to expand within the existing building, consolidating the collections in high-density storage with controlled environmental conditions. Research and processing spaces are located adjacent to the archives.
“The Jean MacArthur Research and Education Center marks a new era for the MacArthur Memorial,” said Amanda Williams, Director of the MacArthur Memorial. “We are stewards of a public collection unlike any other – one that preserves an essential part of our shared history. The new center is a generational commitment to preserving that history and to creating a dynamic place to better support education and public access.”
The new addition extends along MacArthur Square, organized around a double-height exhibit gallery that turns toward Plume Street. Visible from the plaza, the gallery provides space for rotating exhibitions and educational programs and creates a more public presence for the Research Center within the Memorial campus.
Suspended within the gallery, an installation of 1,000 illuminated origami cranes draws on the Japanese tradition of senbazuru and the story of Sadako Sasaki, for whom folding one thousand cranes became an enduring symbol of peace. The installation is integrated with the architecture and interpretive experience of the gallery, where media, exhibitions, and artifacts tell the stories of General Douglas MacArthur and Jean MacArthur.
Flexible classrooms can operate independently or combine for larger educational and public programs. A raised patio extends the gallery outdoors, providing space for gatherings and events along MacArthur Square.
