COUNTDOWN TO ROAD TO BERLIN: CAMPAIGNS OF COURAGE ATRIUM

As we finish our tour through the first floor of the Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters, we exit out of the Road to Berlin exhibit space and come to one of the most impressive elements of the pavilion, the Atrium. The Campaigns of Courage Atrium is a dramatic entryway to the heart of the Museum’s World War II battlefield experience. The Atrium showcases the Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter plane and three war stations that will orient visitors as they prepare to explore pavilion’s exhibit spaces. Sounds of the Messerschmitt flying will encompass the visitor as they enter the Atrium, highlighting the importance of this warbird.

The five-story Atrium is architecturally striking – it is intentionally compressed horizontally and accentuated vertically, with a magnificent wide staircase balancing the space. Two exterior walls are covered by glass for maximum transparency, ensuring a superb view of the campus from the second level, and a spectacular view of the Atrium from the outside. The remaining walls are fashioned from precast concrete with a gorgeous acrylic burgundy finish. Strategic lighting makes the Atrium shine at night, creating a lovely sight from Andrew Higgins Drive and adding to the beauty of the entire campus. This principal hub connects Road to Berlin with Road to Tokyo on the second floor, and serves as the pavilion’s main entry point from the Battle Barksdale Parade Ground and the second-level sky bridge leading to the Solomon Victory Theater.