With its vivid monumentality the museum appears like a UFO in its surrounding cityscape. Supposedly the Smithsonian pointed out to Bunshaft that the building would only be appropriate as a museum of modern art if it contrasted its surroundings sharply. The architect followed the advice by designing a massive, cylindrical, uninterrupted concrete body, hovering above ground.

Written by Faruk Pinjo, 2019

In use. Part of National Mall Historic District (1964). Historic District listed on National Register (1966). 

Since the early 2020s, the Hirshhorn Museum has been the subject of major restoration and renewal projects, including repairs to the building envelope and a comprehensive redesign of the Sculpture Garden by Hiroshi Sugimoto. The garden project, which re-establishes the historic underground connection to the museum, generated extensive discussion among preservation groups and architectural historians due to its reinterpretation of Gordon Bunshaft's original Brutalist design (last updated on June 10, 2026).