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total of 239,000 square feet.  This storage space will be provided by a utilitarian, single story, double-decked structure.

The National Museum of Natural History tentatively has designated percentages of its departmental collections for transfer to the Center.  Relocation of these collections will clear approximately 40,000 square feet of prime exhibits space, thus adding approximately 19 percent to the Museum's capability to present exhibits to its growing number of visitors, now over 4.5 million a year.  Other benefits include the freeing of space on the Mall for education and research activities and better care of all collections.

Second only to collection housing requirements is the need to provide a strong research and study program.  This will be achieved by including in the proposed building approximately 31,000 square feet of offices and 28,000 square feet of laboratories for the professional and technical staff that will be associated directly with the collections.  This space also will accommodate the Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center, which would be moved from its present expensive rental quarters to achieve a more efficient relationship to program elements of the Museum of Natural History.

A final principal component of this project proposal is an approximate 31,000 square feet of facility for conservation.  Included in this first space increment for conservation will be a collections' receiving and fumigation unit, a conservation information referral center, space for the treatment of objects and research on conservation