As designed by the Washington office of RTKL, with Rod Henderer as project architect, the 580,000-square-foot building in many ways has the look and feel of a museum, complete with scale models, films and an exhibition hall highlighting historic documents and other artifacts.
Among the highlights are the ceremonial trowel and gavel George Washington used to lay the building's cornerstone in 1793, John Quincy Adams' cane and the drafting tools used by Thomas Walter to design the Capitol dome.
Documents include Thomas Jefferson's letter detailing the funds for Lewis and Clark Expedition; John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech vowing to put a man on the moon in 10 years; Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech; and a copy of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Also on display is the Lincoln catafalque, a pine platform built to support President Abraham Lincoln's casket after he was assassinated in 1865, and used since then when presidents and military leaders have lain in state in the Capitol Rotunda.
Also notable is an 11-foot-high cutaway scale model of the Capitol dome and Rotunda, depicting details such as Constantino Brumidi's painting on the dome's ceiling, the Apotheosis of Washington.
According to Ayers, the center was built to enhance the visitor experience by showing educational exhibits that prepare guests to see the Capitol, and also to provide amenities that guests need during their visit, starting with a place to wait under cover before their tours begin. Visitors now line up outside in the heat, rain and snow to sign up for tours.
The visitor center was also constructed to provide better security for occupants of the Capitol, including members of Congress and those who come to meet with them. All visitors must pass through sensitive electronic scanners before they can enter.
Now that construction is complete, "I believe we succeeded in meeting all our goals," Ayers said. "Generations of Americans will benefit from all [the center] has to offer."
The visitor center has many components, including a large, light-filled hall where visitors can gather before tours begin; two theaters where they can see an orientation film; a 530-seat restaurant; two gift shops; 26 restrooms; meeting rooms; and the exhibition hall containing educational displays.
The large front space was named Emancipation Hall to remind people of the contributions of enslaved laborers who helped build the Capitol. Lined with statues from different states, it evokes a Beaux-Arts train station's grand waiting room.
