Have you heard about the news? The most iconic statue in New York City (we could say in the entire world!) received a new museum, and it will be open to visitors. The project – designed by architects FXCollaborative – is a new opportunity to those interested in visiting the famous location of Liberty Island, after years of security measures that were implemented post 9-11. The existing museum inside the statue’s pedestal would not allow everyone to enter, because of the limited space, but from this time on – thanks to the new design project – many excited visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the well-known site: a free and innovative space in which the Statue of Liberty’s history will resonate even more. Are you ready to know more about THE STATUE OF LIBERTY’S NEW MUSEUM? Let’s begin!

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY’S NEW MUSEUM

Who knows if French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Gartholdi could ever think about his work and the 4.5 million of people that every year arrive by ferries on the site to admire with amazement the grandiosity of the statue and the significance behind its symbolic stance: maybe they are channeling the same marvelous feeling that enraptured Gartholdi when he first saw the small island that would have been the home of “Liberty Enlightening the World”, the 150-foot-statue that would become New York City’s icon. Opened in 1886, since then it’s the symbol of freedom around the world – the ensign against United States’ slavery – and one of the most attracting museums of the Big Apple.

The idea for the Statue of Liberty’s New Museum came from the security measures that severely limit the entrance to the statue’s pedestal, up to the crown (only 4,000 people per day!): the Statue of Liberty Museum project was designed by architecture firm FXCollaborative and ESI Design to recreate not only a more inclusive attraction that would emphasize the architectural continuity between the building and the landscape but also offer more history about the statue and its meaning. Various galleries and artifacts have found their proper place in Liberty Island, thus allowing people to elaborate more on the real significance behind the neoclassical statue and not just stop at the vague symbolized liberty.

The new building presents an innovative structure that will allow the constant stream of visitors to enjoy the space without any kind of limitations: particular attention to sustainability has been implemented with the use of responsibly harvested materials and features to conserve energy and water while pacifically living in contact with the island’s flora and fauna. The clockwise structure had been thought to keep the huge number of visitors in motion whereas the floor-to-the-ceiling windows allow a permanent view of the statue; lines of textured circles are the special features that prevent birds to fly against the building. Moreover, a suggestive staircase takes the visitors up to the giant rooftop terrace from which the extensive use of copper built a permanent link with the material used by Gartholdi for the statue.

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A special place, that every visitor would like to inspect, has been reserved for the Statue of Liberty’s original torch: originally, it was designed as a shining copper-made torch, that would have shined under the sunlight, but during the years various modifications have been made and colored glass and flashing lights were added to recreate the feel of real flames. The original torch has been displayed in the pedestal museum and now it will be one of the main attractions of the museum, with an immersive theatre with a state-of-art sound system and interactive displays explaining the statue construction’s phases step-by-step. A totally new and immersive way to experience a symbolic treasure.