Located directly across from the Capitol, the new Louisiana State Museum is a cultural and educational facility which presents to visitors a comprehensive history of the State. From its prime location in the Capitol Park, the Museum uses covered terraces and modulated exterior views to give patrons visual access to the Capitol Tower, the adjacent Capitol Gardens and the environs of the Mississippi River. The 70,000 square foot structure is composed predominantly of large galleries surrounding a glazed central lobby/circulation space and features a 200-seat auditorium/banquet hall. Architecturally, the building’s concrete, glass, and metal exterior respond to its context of governmental structures while identifying the Museum as a distinctive cultural entity.