Where: National Building MuseumWhen: until December 31, 2010
The Building Museum is a great place to see exhibits, as it's off the beaten path, and doesn't attract lots of visitors. I was the only person in this exhibit, so I could look to my heart's content, without having to maneuver around other people. The exhibit focuses on architectural details that set buildings apart, or are representative of certain architectural styles. They are the sort of things you see, but don't really notice. This exhibit reminds you to pay attention as you walk down the street - interesting stuff is all around!
I was stuck by how often buildings are designed for one purpose, then re-used for something else. The original home of the Corcoran School of Art is now the Renwick Museum. The Building Museum itself started as the Pension Building. Not mentioned in the exhibit, the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery began its existence as the Patent Office. I like to see buildings re-used when possible, and not simply torn down. Of course, my feelings on this vary according to the beauty of the building - they could tear down some of those horrible box-like structures that pollute the neighborhood where I work and put up something else any time!
One of the more interesting items in this exhibit was the "Turner Cities" pictures. Turner is a major construction company, hired to build all kinds of structures all over the world (sports stadiums, municipal buildings, cultural centers, large office buildings, etc.). Every year, they commission a picture of a fictitious city that includes all the buildings they've competed that year. The pictures started out fairly modest in size, but have grown to be quite large. I think the idea is a clever one, and a creative way to show what the company's accomplished over the course of the year.
Verdict: Worth a look, if you've got some time, and want a break from the typical museum crowd.
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