A monument to journalism and free speech, the 650,000-sf (60,000-sm) Newseum and Freedom Forum features a 2-story media wall and a glass façade, reflecting the principles of honesty and transparency. The 7-story museum contains galleries, an auditorium, technologically advanced black box broadcasting facilities and office and retail space. A defining 4,500-sf (420-sm) window wall and monumental stair was realized through LERA’s design of a unique truss system. Four below-grade levels are built with reinforced concrete, and a 16-in-thick foundation retains soil at the building’s perimeter.

In addition to gallery, office and retail space, the 7-story museum houses the 500-seat Annenberg Theater, which hosts both film screenings and lectures, panels and presentations, as well as the Knight TV Studio, a 2,800-sf technologically advanced black box broadcasting facility that seats up to 150 audience members.