© Davis Brody Bond
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum has received final approval for the design of its expanded facility on North Avenue.
With a few suggestions, Baltimore’s Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel on Thursday approved a design for the museum’s expansion of its location at 1601 E. North Ave. The $75 million project, designed by Washington, D.C., architecture firm Davis Brody Bond, will span the length of the block between Broadway and Bond Street, with a sprawling green space behind the museum.
The museum has been in business 32 years and attracts more than 150,000 visitors annually. With a lager presence in East Baltimore’s Oliver neighborhood, the organization’s leaders hope to grow its annual visitation to 500,000.
The new facility will include space for exhibits, a gift shop, genealogy center and theater.
Davis Brody Bond first presented the initial expansion plans to UDARP four years ago. The design presented Thursday includes a new entry point, transparent view into the museum and the preserved structure of the fire house where the museum is located. […]
