The building makes a dramatic impression, standing out from its larger and less distinguished stadium neighbors thanks to its defining gesture, a massive metal-clad block (200 feet square) that hovers some 40 feet above ground, intended as a metaphor for the psychological weight borne by Medal of Honor recipients.

The National Medal of Honor Museum is set to open Tuesday in Arlington, just west of Dallas. It highlights the lives and service of Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War to the global war on terrorism.