National Juneteenth Museum

National Juneteenth Museum

National Juneteenth Museum

year

2024

location

Fort Worth, Texas

design studio

Bjarke Ingels Group

role

Project Designer

project phases

Schematic Design

Celebrating Juneteenth

The building’s design is rooted in history, purpose, and community. Drawing inspiration from the local vernacular architecture of the Historic Southside District, it features natural materials and gabled rooftops reminiscent of surrounding residential forms. The museum’s undulating roofline creates a dynamic sequence of ridges, peaks, and valleys, giving the structure a distinctive identity while allowing it to serve as a visual beacon within the neighborhood.

While the museum’s core is dedicated to telling the story of Juneteenth through its exhibition spaces, the building also embraces a broader civic mission. It houses a variety of community-focused programs designed to engage, uplift, and support the residents of the neighborhood. These include spaces for education, entrepreneurship, gathering, and celebration—each thoughtfully integrated into the architecture to promote accessibility, connection, and a sense of belonging. In this way, the building transcends its role as a traditional museum to become a true cultural anchor: one that honors the past, responds to the present, and actively shapes the future of the community it serves.

Celebrating Juneteenth

The building’s design is rooted in history, purpose, and community, drawing from the vernacular architecture of the Historic Southside District with natural materials and gabled rooftops. Its undulating roofline creates a distinctive, beacon-like presence in the neighborhood.

While focused on telling the story of Juneteenth through exhibition spaces, the museum also includes community programs for education, entrepreneurship, and gathering. Thoughtfully integrated, these spaces foster connection and belonging, making the building a cultural anchor that honors the past and shapes the community’s future.

A Center for the Community

In addition to its exhibition spaces, the building is thoughtfully designed to serve as a dynamic hub for the surrounding community. A diverse range of community-focused amenities has been integrated into the program, reinforcing the museum’s role as more than just a space for historical reflection—it is also a catalyst for empowerment, creativity, and connection. These amenities include a business incubator that supports local entrepreneurship and economic development, a food hall that highlights regional culinary traditions, a maker space that encourages hands-on learning, and a performance hall that provides a platform for cultural expression, storytelling, and the arts.

Together, these elements transform the building into a living, breathing center of activity—open, inclusive, and rooted in service to the people it was designed for. The building is envisioned not only as a museum, but as a welcoming and restorative place—an anchor within the neighborhood where individuals can relax, engage, collaborate, learn, and reflect.

The Central Nova

A defining symbol of the Juneteenth movement, prominently featured on the Juneteenth flag, is the 12-ray nova. This powerful emblem represents a new dawn and a new beginning, with each of its twelve points symbolizing the distinct freedoms and possibilities gained through emancipation. More than a graphic element, the nova carries a deep cultural and historical resonance, marking both the pain of the past and the hope for a more just future.

This icon is not only acknowledged but physically embedded into the architectural identity of the Juneteenth Museum. It forms the organizing principle of the central reflection courtyard—a pivotal space located at the heart of the building. Radiating outward from this symbolic core, the nova shape gives form and meaning to the courtyard, grounding it in both metaphor and material expression.

The reflection courtyard serves as a connective tissue between the various programs that encircle it, offering clear visual and spatial links across the museum’s diverse functions. It is a space of pause and contemplation, designed to invite visitors into a moment of stillness amid movement. Through carefully curated landscaping, natural light, and open sky, the courtyard offers an opportunity to reconnect with nature and with the enduring spirit of resilience and liberation that Juneteenth embodies. In this way, the nova becomes more than a symbol—it becomes a lived experience, anchoring the museum in both community and memory.

The Central Nova

A defining symbol of the Juneteenth movement, the 12-ray nova—featured on the Juneteenth flag—represents a new dawn, with each point symbolizing freedoms gained through emancipation. More than a graphic, it embodies both the struggle and hope tied to Juneteenth’s legacy.

This powerful icon is embedded into the architecture of the museum, shaping the central reflection courtyard at the heart of the building. Radiating outward, the nova organizes the surrounding spaces and unifies the museum’s diverse programs.

As a space for stillness and connection, the courtyard invites visitors to pause, reflect, and engage with nature. It transforms the nova into a spatial experience—one that grounds the museum in memory, resilience, and community.

Facade & Materiality

The building’s material palette balances durability, sustainability, and contextual relevance. Metal is used for the roof, eaves, and courtyard panels, offering a refined yet resilient finish that requires minimal maintenance. Warm wood accents complement the metal, drawing from the local residential vernacular of the Historic Southside and introducing a natural, tactile quality to the design.

Glazing is used strategically throughout to maximize natural light and foster transparency, creating an inviting connection between the interior and the surrounding community. Integrated LED lighting in the façade transforms the building into an active media surface—capable of displaying announcements, events, and upcoming exhibitions—further reinforcing the museum’s role as a dynamic civic presence.

ryan henriksen