On June 26, Washington, D.C.’s National Geographic Museum of Exploration reopened its doors and unveiled its construction and renovation project that transformed the National Geographic Society's global headquarters.

The museum, which closed for three years to make these upgrades, expanded its space to more than 100K SF. The new space features numerous exhibitions, a theater and a pavilion with a media wall, a large-scale digital display wall for dynamic visuals, interactive content, photography, video installations or branded storytelling experiences.

Museum visitors can also explore the food and beverage options in the Explorers Eatery food hall. At just over 11K SF, it features five rotating global food stalls introducing cuisines from around the world, starting with American classics, Peruvian, Italian, Moroccan and Vietnamese food, and includes a coffee bar and bakery cafe. A 15-foot wraparound bar, named in honor of National Geographic Explorer at Large Bob Ballard, anchors the 320-seat food hall. 

Patrons can also partake in the eatery's local events, including trivia nights, film screenings and coffee or cocktails with an Explorer.

“We wanted the design to complement the rest of the museum but also stand alone in its own right,” said National Geographic Society Vice President of Facilities and Capital Planning Ryan Sokoloski. “The Eatery ties back to the education that we’re aiming to give our guests when they visit the museum, whether through showcasing cuisines around the globe or aligning a cuisine to a museum exhibit.”

The Explorers Eatery came to life through the continued partnership between Winmar Construction and architect HapstakDemetriou+, which together have built four D.C.-based restaurants for The Starr Group, said Project Manager Kimberly Robinson. 

As HapstakDemetriou+ neared completion of the project’s design development phase, National Geographic needed to select the right general contractor to bring the vision to life, said Bill Young, studio director at HapstakDemetriou+. The success of their previous collaboration resulted in the architect immediately bringing Winmar’s name to the table. 

Winmar provided a fully scoped proposal and created a comprehensive preconstruction plan that was submitted and accepted, Robinson said. During preconstruction, Winmar assisted with budgeting and value engineering, creating risk mitigation strategies and onboarding subcontractors before the project plans were finalized, she said.

Young said the design for the eatery was inspired by an image of Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona. It served as the baseline for the look of the structure and how to create fluid movement within the space.

“We noticed how the land formations were sculpted by the stream coming through, and how the water curves in and out and cuts through the individual land masses,” he said. 

Since Winmar needed to align its work with HapstakDemetriou+’s design, early planning, materials sourcing and creative construction methods were key.

The project distinguishes itself through the curved planes throughout the entire eatery: on the ceilings, walls, partitions, columns and surfaces. The curvatures were created with glass fiber-reinforced gypsum panels, a material that combines gypsum cement with glass fibers and is popular for its durability. 

Winmar Director Andrew Dondero said the molds were created for each individual panel and then installed and finished. Acoustical treatments were then applied to help prevent noise disturbance.

The standalone kiosks at the rotating food stalls, large visual display screens and lighting ring below the column were all crafted from fabricated metal. The LED screens installed on top of each kiosk enable the display to adapt to the new cuisines that are served.

At the heart of the space sits a curved, oval-shaped island bar that serves as both a gathering place for guests and a centerpiece of the design. Rising above the bar is a multitiered shelving system that appears to float effortlessly around the oval, Dondero said.

Achieving this look, however, required substantial behind-the-scenes engineering. Making the shelving system both visually stunning and structurally sound involved creating a hidden steel support framework above the shelves and installing steel plates below them, he said.

“Guests see a clean, sophisticated design, but behind it is a carefully coordinated effort involving multiple trades working together to ensure the entire assembly remains secure and performs exactly as intended,” Dondero said. “The result is a dramatic focal point that blends architectural beauty with the precision and craftsmanship required to bring a complex design vision to life.”

There was no margin for error during installation, as the important elements of the project, such as the finishes, millwork pieces and architectural features, were all custom-designed for the unique space, he said. Successfully bringing them together required meticulous planning and attention to detail, he said.

Long before the first piece of material was installed, Winmar gathered a team of specialized trade partners — including steel fabricators, drywall contractors, millwork craftsmen, electricians and painters — to map out the process. When reviewing the shop drawings, they dissected every detail, identified potential conflicts and aligned expectations before construction began, Dondero said.

This allowed the team to stay organized and execute a highly complex design with the precision and coordination required to keep the project on schedule, he said.

“When multiple trades are working within the same space, every detail matters,” Dondero said. “We invested the time upfront to ensure each subcontractor understood their scope and how their work would interact with everyone else's.”

Integrating a variety of materials with differing thicknesses and finishes required meticulous planning and craftsmanship to ensure every transition was seamless from start to finish.

Constructing the eatery simultaneously with the other projects at the museum meant Winmar often had to share space with contractors who were working under a different base building contractor, Robinson said. Examples included sharing an electrical room with the base building and coordinating building systems that passed through the eatery, requiring careful planning and execution throughout construction.

The firm regularly communicated with multiple stakeholders to help ensure that no one impeded another’s work and schedule.

“Being able to work with other contractors in a space that’s not entirely our own shows how we can adjust to a unique situation, do what we’re told to do and get the job done,” Robinson said.

The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget and opened on time, with Winmar delivering approximately 10% in cost savings.

Winmar Superintendent Josh Eck and Robinson "made an incredible team" and ensured that the project stayed on track, Sokoloski said.

“Winmar was a great partner in helping us make the eatery come to life,” he said. “They didn’t skip a beat, and the construction process went very well. I'll definitely be calling them back."

For a designer, it makes a world of difference to work with the right general contractor. With a repeat collaboration, success comes with being familiar with their approach and process of working on a project and having a positive experience, Young said.

“A huge part of what makes a successful construction project is the relationships,” Robinson said. "We all contributed to making the space as beautiful as it is.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Winmar Construction. Bisnow’s editorial staff was not involved in its creation.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.