‘Canopy of Peace’ to rise 150 feet above The National WWII Museum
By David Malone, Associate Editor
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans broke ground on March 28 on a new structure that will tie together the six-acre campus both aesthetically and practically.
The Bollinger Canopy of Peace will rise 148 feet above the Museum’s campus and consist of a steel lattice framework that supports Teflon-coated fiberglass membrane panels. Four steel legs will be anchored in more than 1,260 cubic yards of concrete.
Courtesy of The National WWII Museum.
The 448-foot-long and 126-foot-wide piece will create a grand entryway to the Museum and will also provide shade for visitors on both the Founders Plaza and the Col. Battle Barksdale Parade Ground. Programmable lighting and messaging can be projected from below. At night, a lighting system designed by Solomon Group will cast various colors up its steel support legs and through the fiberglass sails.
The Canopy of Peace is meant as a symbolic representation of the hope and promise unleashed by the end of World War II hostilities and will alter the New Orleans skyline. Voorsanger Mathes is the architect for the project, which is slated for completion in Winter 2018.