News Release: 17 November 2000

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Pavillion Café Open

Washington, DC -- The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden becomes an arts, ice-skating and dining destination with the opening of its new Pavilion Café. The Café has panoramic views of the ice skating rink, and Sculpture Garden from its floor-to-ceiling picture windows. Visitors and skaters can choose from freshly made entrées including wraps, sandwiches, gourmet pizzas and salads. Beverages include coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine, and beer.

The Café, managed by Guest Services, Inc., can seat 120 people inside and 64 people outside on its north and south terraces. Hours for the Pavilion Café during skating season are Monday-Saturday, 10:00-9:00, and Sunday, 11:00-7:00. For information call 202-289-3360.

Building Design
The Pavilion Café takes its name from the pavilion building originally designed by the San Francisco offices of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) in 1972 and was constructed in 1988 incorporating revisions designed by the Washington, DC, office of SOM under the direction of the National Park Service. The organic form of the original pavilion building has been carefully preserved.

In keeping with the original curvilinear design, the new Café construction maintains and accentuates the low, horizontal scale of the building, providing visitors with virtually uninterrupted views, through the full height glass walls and tree-like metal tracery, of the Sculpture Garden, and the surrounding historical architecture.

Inside, the Pavilion Café is a light-filled building in a garden setting featuring quiet, relaxing colors. Undulating walls, metal tracery and the use of natural materials create an organic feeling.

The intention was to bring the outside in by installing floor to ceiling glass walls, which create a sense immediacy with the out-of-doors.

Comfortable cushioned cane armchairs were chosen for their comfort factor and curvilinear design reflective of the building's tracery. The dining tables have a custom harvest cherry wood finish, which is enhanced with an inset border of the Bryant Park Green color used throughout the garden. Great care was taken even in the small details: food service uniforms, utensils, and the selection of the china.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

If you are a member of the press and would like to be added to our press list, click here.