BBB’s adaptive reuse of historic Randall Junior High School into a museum preserves this important landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places and brings it back to life as a public resource. The school’s central building and east wing were preserved and repurposed for the presentation of more than 7,400 pieces of internationally renowned paintings, sculptures, photography, and installations from the Rubell Family’s exceptional contemporary art collection. The central building’s lower level displays local artists’ work and provides space for public art, while the east wing, previously the school auditorium, now boasts a gallery space for larger art pieces. The museum’s new glass pavilion entrance features a bookstore and terrace that serves as a beacon for the community.
Rubell Museum DC
Washington, DC
Joseph Romeo
BBB transformed a historic Washington DC building with a rich social and architectural history into a museum with an unparalleled contemporary art collection.
Courtesy of Rubell Museum, Chi Lam; Artist: Sylvia Snowden
Courtesy of Rubell Museum, Chi Lam; Artist: Christopher Myers and Vaughn Spann
Preservation and Adaptive Reuse
The Rubell Museum is housed in a historic Georgian Revival-style building that opened in 1906 as Francis L. Cardozo Elementary, a public school serving the Black community of Southwest DC. Re-established in 1927 as Randall Junior High School, it remains one of the last surviving buildings predating urban renewal in Southwest DC.
From 1982 until 2004, the building served a variety of uses, including as artist studios, a space for arts education programs, and as a housing shelter for men.
In 2006, the property became vacant, and despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, it suffered significant water infiltration and partial roof collapse while unoccupied.
The goal was to preserve and restore as much historic fabric as possible, while also establishing a neutral backdrop for displaying art. This resulted in circulation spaces—stairs, landings, and corridors—largely returned to their original appearance.
Throughout the building, historic wood flooring was salvaged and restored at great expense, but it many locations it had to be completely replaced.
BBB worked with the Rubells to develop a design that reveals the historic building’s existing features, such as the wood flooring, raw wood joists, and exposed brick walls while maximizing new finishes to create a complementary backdrop for the artwork.
Today, the Randall School building welcomes the public—free of charge for DC residents—to experience contemporary art that addresses urgent social and political issues, making it a beacon of learning and creativity for a new generation.
The landmarked exterior was restored to its historic appearance, and missing or deteriorated elements were reconstructed to match the original. Adjacent to the museum, Gallery 64, a modern, 12-story residential building, forms a backdrop and contemporary counterpart to the historic structure.
Colin Winterbottom
Project Credits
BBB Partner-in-Charge
Hany Hassan
BBB Team
Bradley Cambridge
Rence W. Gill
Rebecca Meyer
Rence W. Gill
Rebecca Meyer
Landscape Architecture
Oehme, van Sweden & Associates Inc
Structural
Silman
Mechanical/Plumbing Engineers (Design)
JennErik Engineering, Inc.
Transportation
Gorove/Slade Associates Inc.
Mechanical Engineers (Build)
Mechanical Design Systems, Inc
Plumbing Engineers (Build)
Magnolia Plumbing, Inc
Vertical Transportation
Persohn Hahn Associates, Inc.
Electrical Engineers
Power Design Inc.
Fire Protection (Design/Build)
Continental Fire Sprinkler Company
Lighting Design
Stroik Lighting Design
Civil Engineers
Wiles Mensch Corporation
General Contractor
The Christman Company
Sustainability
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Code/Life Safety
Jensen Hughes
Photography
Before / After set 1 - Colin Winterbottom / Courtesy of Rubell Museum, Chi Lam; Artist: Kehinde Wiley and El Anatsui
Before / After set 2 - Colin Winterbottom
Before / After set 2 - Colin Winterbottom
Awards & Press
ArchitectureDC
Playing to the Gallery
WETA
WETA Arts April 2023
Architects and Artisans
In D.C., the New Rubell Museum by Beyer Blinder Belle
The Architect's Newspaper
Beyer Blinder Belle embraces imperfection in Washington, D.C.’s newly opened Rubell Museum
The Washington Post
This new museum is a world away from D.C. stereotypes
Cultured
Moving on Up: the New Rubell Museum DC Expands the Family's Miami Mission of Amplifying Contemporary Art to the Public
Vanity Fair
The Rubells, Miami’s Longtime Art Patrons, Bet Big on Washington, DC
The New York Times
Miami Collectors Shake Up a D.C. Schoolhouse
The Art Newspaper
Rubells’ Washington, DC museum is taking shape
Archinect
The Rubell Museum comes to Washington with its Gallery 64 mixed-use development effort
Next Project
Rubell Museum DC