Palladio & His Legacy

Where: National Building Museum

When: until January 9, 2011

I was pleasantly surprised by this exhibit. I wasn't certain how interested I would be in looking at architectural drawings, and at first, I felt my lack of architectural background as a hindrance in appreciating the show. However, once the focus of the exhibit moved to American buildings, especially those with which I am familiar, I became much more engaged in the show.

The exhibit features some copies of drawings of famous buildings, and drawings of buildings that were never built. The age of some of these items is breathtaking; they are hundreds of years old. I also enjoyed the story of how Palladio translated architectural tomes into Italian, so that his contemporaries could understand them. Palladio's own works were then translated into other languages, including English, so that generations of architects born long after Palladio's death, could learn from his work.

Presently, the United States is the place where Palladian architecture has really taken hold, and is featured in myriad buildings in DC. As I left the exhibit, I caught a glimpse of the National Gallery of Art building, and thought, "Ah Palladio!" On my walk each morning from Union Station to my office in the Gallery Place area, I see numerous examples of Palladio's ideas, and knowing them for what they are increases my interest. It's amazing what more there is to see in the city, if you know how to look.

Thomas Jefferson was a great adherent of Palladio, and his house at Monticello and some of the architecture at the University of Virginia shows this. I was unaware that there was a competition to design what we now call the White House, and I certainly didn't know that Jefferson submitted a design. I liked his offering - it featured a wonderful dome.

Verdict: Do make time for this show. It's not terribly large; you can see it easily in a lunch hour. Once you have your eye out for Palladio, you see him everywhere - which adds to the fun.