10 things to explain the unusual look of the new African American history museum

The architect who planned the new National Museum of American History and Culture had an extraordinary task: Design a building that helps tell the complicated 400-year story of a people that also celebrates their achievements and culture.

The building also had to fit into the layout of the National Mall, sitting beneath the shadow of the Washington Monument.

"It's not easy, and nobody says that we're going to get it right" architect David Adjaye told the Smithsonian Magazine at the time of the museum's groundbreaking. "For me, the story is one that's extremely uplifting, as a kind of world story."