National Center for Civil and Human Rights Exhibit Design / David Rockwell

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Text description provided by the architects. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights (“NCCHR”) is an institution that will commemorate the historical struggle for African-American freedom and equality, and will serve as a center for the ongoing study and dialogue for evolving human rights movements across the globe. The goal of the NCCHR is to continue the search for a secure human existence in a way that inspires vigilance and leadership among future generations.

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Rockwell Group is designing the NCCHR’s exhibition space in collaboration with director, writer and producer George C. Wolfe and human rights expert Jill Savitt, and is also designing graphics for the lobby, MLK gallery/pre-function area. Freelon is the Design Architect and HOK is Architect of Record of this project.

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Design Concept:

The NCCHR’s exhibition space will focus on telling stories in an experiential manner that engages visitors both individually and collectively. The exhibition space will be comprised of two sets of galleries: the Civil Rights galleries and the Human Rights gallery.

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The Civil Rights galleries will consist of a series of black box rooms that will tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement in a linear manner. A dramatic mix of traditional and multimedia exhibits in a light- and sound-controlled environment will offer a theatrical and immersive experience.

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The Human Rights gallery is a single, open space that will be more thematically organized, encouraging visitors to wander among the exhibits an open-ended manner. A final shared gallery will celebrate the accomplishments of the Civil Rights and Human Rights movements and will serve as a place for visitors to linger, discuss their experiences, and explore ways to get involved with various causes.

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Exhibitions will be presented through graphics, immersive projections, individual interactive kiosks, and group interactive stations. These distinct strategies will serve to address the varying needs of different types of visitors, as well as provide a wide range of experiences in order to engage visitors on different levels.

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