General Museum Press Images
February 25, 2011
Press images for the National Building Museum

Women of Architecture: Annabelle Selldorf
February 23, 2011
Annabelle Selldorf, FAIA, founding principal of Selldorf Architects and designer of the Neue Galerie New York, will discuss her current work including 200 Eleventh Avenue, a residential tower in Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood; the SIMS Municipal Recycling Facility, New York City’s principal processing facility for recyclables; as well as a museum renovation and research center at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

For the Greener Good: Life After Plastic
February 8, 2011
For the Greener Good, one of the National Building Museum’s most popular public education forums, consists of four timely discussions about the state of sustainability in our nation. In the second lecture of the 2011 series, titled Life after Plastic, panelists discuss the impact of rising oil prices on the cost of plastic building materials. The For the Greener Good participants examine the future of alternative products for the construction industry specifically focusing on product life-cycle and health and environmental concerns surrounding materials and manufacturing. Panelists will also discuss corn and soy-based alternatives as well as the future of bio-engineered building products.

Hollywood Modern: Film Design of the 1930s
January 31, 2011
The National Building Museum is proud to partner with the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center (AFI) in presenting a film series associated with the Museum’s exhibition Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s. The film series, Hollywood Modern: Film Design of the 1930s, is a month-long festival highlighting the eclectic—and occasionally over the top—modernist set designs seen in ten classic films of the era. Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and National Building Museum curator Deborah Sorensen will introduce the Hollywood Modern series before the screening of Grand Hotel on February 5. This kick-off discussion will focus on how, at a time of great economic difficulty, Hollywood provided moviegoers with glamorous fantasies of modern living filled with fashion, urban decadence, and nights on the town.

For the Greener Good: Inspired by Nature
January 14, 2011
For the Greener Good, one of the National Building Museum’s most popular public education forums, consists of four timely discussions about the state of sustainability in our nation. In the season opener, titled Inspired by Nature, the For the Greener Good panelists discuss how architects, builders, and engineers can create a greener, stronger, and more sustainable built environment by learning from natural forms. These natural inspirations have led to growing research in mining photosynthesis for renewable energy sources, engineering buildings in the shape of honeycomb, and creating natural ventilation inspired by termite hills.

Intelligent Cities: Makeshift Metropolis
January 5, 2011
On Monday, January 10, 2010, prize-winning author, professor, and architecture critic Witold Rybczynski discusses his latest book, Makeshift Metropolis: Ideas about Cities. The book explores current concepts about urban planning that evolved from the movements that defined the twentieth century such as City Beautiful, the Garden City, and the seminal ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright and Jane Jacobs. In this presentation, Rybczynski will discuss the history of city planning and consider the kind of cities we want and the kind of cities we need. Rybczynski’s program is the launch event for the Museum’s Intelligent Cities initiative, a multi-year effort that explores how data and information technology can improve the way our cities look, feel, and function.

Fall 2011 CityVision Final Presentation
December 7, 2010
Learn more about District of Columbia Public School students’ vision for their city. Students from Browne Education Campus, Takoma Education Campus, and Truesdell Education Campus present their innovative plans, developed in collaboration with the D.C. Office of Planning, for sites in Brookland, on the Southwest Waterfront, and near RFK Stadium. Opening remarks will be given by Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells and Harriet Tregoning, Director of the DC Office of Planning

Drayton Hall: Palladio in America
November 24, 2010
Located near Charleston, South Carolina, Drayton Hall is considered one of the finest and oldest examples of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States. George W. McDaniel, Drayton Hall’s executive director, and Carter C. Hudgins, director of preservation, will give an illustrated talk about this National Trust property that dates to 1738. The program is moderated by Carl I. Gable, president of the Center for Palladian Studies in America. This program is presented in cooperation with the Center for Palladian Studies in America. 1.5 LU (AIA)