By act of Congress, the United States Institute of Peace has secured an extraordinary site in Washington, D.C., for its permanent headquarters. Located at the northwest corner of the National Mall at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street, the site faces the Lincoln Memorial and is adjacent to the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memorials.

The headquarters will serve the American people, the federal government, and the international community as a center for research, education, training, and policy development on issues of international conflict prevention, management, and resolution. The building will contain offices for program and administrative staff and research fellows, a research library and archives, a state-of-the-art conference center that includes classrooms and professional training rooms, and an interactive education center that is open to the public and dedicated to the theme of peacemaking.

The architectural firm Moshe Safdie and Associates has completed the design concept for the headquarters. Safdie's design reflects his vision that the headquarters, given its location, is a symbolic structure on the capital's skyline representing the striving for peace. The building's roofs form a series of wing-like elements. Constructed of steel frame and white translucent glass, they will be white on the exterior during the day and glow from light within at night. The roof structures will be visible from many locations along the National Mall as well as from the roads and bridges into the city that cross the Potomac River.

The Institute's headquarters project is a public-private partnership, in keeping with the Institute's mission to serve the federal government and the American people.