The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., reopened on October 31 after a four-year transformation led by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. Project architect Quinn Evans confirmed the reopening, while the Smithsonian outlined expanded access and a larger outdoor art display.
The 1.3-acre garden now has five entrances, up from two, including ramps and a widened connection to the National Mall. A long-closed underground passage has also returned to use, linking the garden with the museum plaza without requiring visitors to cross Jefferson Drive.
Sugimoto’s design adds stacked-stone walls, new paths and spaces for performances and changing exhibitions. The central area includes a stage beside an expanded reflecting pool, while the restored passage incorporates his stainless-steel installation Passage of Reflectance.
The reopening programme includes Yoshitomo Nara: Sentinels of Stillness, scheduled through November 7, 2027. The exhibition begins a rotating programme in the West Lawn Gallery, alongside the museum’s wider presentation of modern and contemporary sculpture. Access to the Hirshhorn remains free.
The Hirshhorn Museum building in June 2024. Archive photograph; it does not show the newly redesigned sculpture garden. Photo: Ajay Suresh, Hirshhorn Museum, CC BY 2.0.
