The Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Garden Makes a Grand Return
Four years, a visionary artist-architect, and a fresh perspective on outdoor art. The Hirshhorn’s newly revamped Sculpture Garden is ready to reclaim its spot as one of the National Mall’s most intriguing cultural escapes.
from the North Overlook, including Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Passage of Reflectance and Kuen’s
Surface. Photo: Rick Coulby. Courtesy: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
On October 31, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum reopened its revitalized Sculpture Garden following a multi-year transformation led by acclaimed artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. And this isn’t just a little landscape refresh. The largest renovation of the Hirshhorn campus since its 1974 debut gives the 1.3-acre outdoor oasis a new lease on artistic life.
looking East. Photo: Rick Coulby. Courtesy: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
The makeover marries modern vision with architectural heritage, preserving key elements of Gordon Bunshaft’s original design while reimagining how visitors move through, mingle with, and experience the space. The result is a more accessible, art-filled escape that reconnects the National Mall to the museum’s southern Plaza and invites visitors to linger a little longer.
Coulby. Courtesy: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Artworks L to R: Barbara Hepworth,
Curved Form: Bryher II, 1961; Aristide Maillol, Nymph (Central Figure for “The Three Nymphs”)
1930/cast by 1953; Gaston Lachaise, Standing Woman, 1932/cast 1981; Henri Laurens,
Maternity, 1932; Henri Matisse, The Back I-IV, 1916-1917/cast 1959-1960.
And there is more access all around. Five at-grade entrances (up from two) make it easier to wander in, while expanded seating and new overlooks offer fresh perspectives on the garden’s sculptural treasures. Even better, the long-closed underground passage connecting the Garden to the Plaza is back, transformed by Sugimoto into Passage of Reflectance (2026), a light-filled, reflective pedestrian tunnel that turns a simple stroll into an artistic experience.
Coulby. Courtesy: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Artworks L to R: Henry Moore,
Two-Piece Reclining Figure: Points, 1969-1970/cast 1973; Auguste Rodin, Walking Man,
1900/enlarged 1905/cast 1962; Henry Moore, Seated Woman, 1956-1957/cast 1962.
The expanded outdoor galleries will ultimately accommodate nearly 60 artworks across the Garden and Plaza (up from 35), bringing works from Joseph H. Hirshhorn’s original collection into conversation with contemporary acquisitions, commissions, gifts, and loans. A flexible West Lawn Gallery makes room for monumental installations and rotating exhibitions, while a redesigned reflecting pool and new gathering spaces set the stage for performances, talks, and public programs.
West. Photo: Rick Coulby. Courtesy: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The revitalization also restores defining architectural elements, including the Garden’s north entrance, while introducing new stonework and pathways designed to serve generations of art lovers to come.
This is a garden path… but with a decidedly modern twist.
