Museum will tell one of America’s greatest untold stories
WASHINGTON D.C. – Created practically overnight, in the depths of World War II, men and women from all parts of American society created the most dynamic and unique organization in United States history: the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Special Operations Forces, and the U.S. intelligence community.
Today, nearly seventy years later, The OSS Society has embarked on its latest mission, though not nearly so clandestine as those of its youth: to tell the great, largely unknown story of the OSS and its lasting effect on U.S. national security through the creation of a National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations™.
On October 15, The OSS Society unveiled plans for this new museum, designed by Fentress Architects, which will tell the story of the men and women who served in the OSS between June 13, 1942 and October 1, 1945. The landmark building and its three-quarter acre of exhibits will jointly remind the world of their efforts, achievements and sacrifice. The architectural design expresses the spirit of resistance, and eventual triumph against the forces of oppression and terror, in stone, glass and steel.
“It is a great honor to roll out plans for the National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations. It will tell a monumental story, made up of over 70 years of history about the country’s very first strategic missions to preserve our freedoms during times of war. This is the story of the OSS, a story that has not been heard before,” said Curtis Fentress, Founder & Chief Designer at Fentress Architects. “This museum will be a national tribute to all former members of the OSS, their families, and the American people.”
The design of the National OSS Museum™ was inspired by emblems symbolic to the organization: the wingspan of the American Bald Eagle, represented by the twisting gesture of the dramatic roof line, and the spearhead of the official OSS seal, which inspired the museum’s site plan. These symbols connect the past to the present-day Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations Forces, which were born from the OSS and carry on its legacy today.
“The concepts pioneered by General Donovan and the OSS continue to guide those in the contemporary intelligence and special operations fields.” --David Petraeus, Director of the CIA.
Visitors arriving by vehicle will see a breathtaking structure rise above the tree line. The museum’s 11 angular forms will create a powerful gesture of the OSS’s rise to prominence amidst global conflict and unrest. Enlivened by light entering through glass walls and clerestories, the lyrical composition speaks to how the 11 divisions of the OSS worked together on daring missions to preserve the country’s freedoms. Day and night, the museum will be a beacon on the horizon.
Upon entering, visitors experience a soaring space with a 500-foot-long by 80-foot-tall curved Remembrance Wall engraved with the names of the OSS members killed in action during World War II, poignantly recalling each life. Epic scenes from OSS training and operations films are projected on this wall, and immerse the visitor in history. Audio of direct voices and sounds will add to the immersive experience.
The facing Reflection Walls create interactive multi-media zones that provide private areas for personal contemplation. Visitors from throughout the world can access wartime stories of these clandestine heroes, share their thoughts, or further immerse themselves in the experience through these touch-screen walls. The use of monumental digital media allows these walls to function as additional exhibit spaces and to position the museum in the 21st century. The complex will also serve as a center of research. To reduce operations and maintenance costs, the museum will be sustainable, designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards.
“Today, our Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Special Operations Forces, and the entire intelligence community are as critical to protecting the United States as they have ever been in our nation’s history,” said Charles Pinck, President of the OSS Society. “I am very excited about and proud of this museum design honoring the OSS, as it will give us the chance to tell America’s greatest untold story.”
The National OSS Museum of American Intelligence and Special Operations™ will celebrate the historic accomplishments of the OSS, America’s first strategic intelligence agency. It will be a monument to those who served in the OSS and those today who are inspired by its legacy.
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society celebrates the historic accomplishments of the OSS during World War II—the first organized effort by the United States to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence and the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations Forces—and educates the American public regarding the continuing importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom in this country and around the world. Its Board of Directors includes two former commanders of the U.S. Special Operations Command, President George H. W. Bush, five former Directors of Central Intelligence, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Ross Perot. The OSS Society is comprised of OSS veterans, their descendants, and members of the U.S. intelligence community and U.S. Special Operations Forces. It traces its beginnings to 1947 when its predecessor, the Veterans OSS, was founded. The OSS Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
For more information on The OSS Society, please visit www.osssociety.org or email oss@osssociety.org
For more information on the National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations™, please visit www.nationalossmuseum.org.
Fentress Architects is a nationally-known design firm that passionately pursues the creation of sustainable and iconic architecture. Together with their clients, Fentress creates inspired design to improve the human environment. Founded by Curtis Fentress in 1980, the firm has designed US$26 billion of architectural projects worldwide, visited by over 300 million people each year. Fentress is a dynamic learning organization, driven to grow its ability to design, innovate and exceed client expectations. The firm has been honored with more than 360 distinctions for design excellence and innovation, and in 2010, Curtis Fentress was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the most prestigious award for public architecture, the Thomas Jefferson Award. Fentress has studios in Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; San Jose, California; Washington, D.C.; and London, U.K. www.fentressarchitects.com
Please contact Angela Potrykus at 303.282.6192 or potrykus@fentressarchitects.com for more information or images.
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