Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Asian art museum in the National Mall, Washington D.C., United States.
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is an Asian art museum on the National Mall in Washington, connected to the adjacent Freer Gallery through underground passages. The spaces lie entirely below ground level and are accessible only through an entrance in the Smithsonian Castle garden.
The institution opened its doors in 1987 following a major Japanese funding pledge announced by the prime minister in the late seventies. The underground design emerged from the desire to preserve the historic lawn of the Mall without adding new buildings above ground.
The name honors an American collector whose passion for Asian art laid the foundation for this institution. Visitors today see calligraphies, jade carvings and Buddhist sculptures from China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Near East in rotating exhibitions.
Access is through the garden on Independence Avenue, where signs point the way to the entrance. The exhibition rooms are wheelchair accessible and connected to ground level by elevators.
The location below ground allows constant temperature and humidity without visible technical installations. These conditions protect sensitive paper scrolls, textiles and organic materials from daylight and fluctuations.
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