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Three-part series explore three movements in architecture
There are many reasons why buildings from one era look different from buildings of another. Sometimes those differences reflect developments in materials, building processes, or other technologies. Sometimes the differences arise from cultural or economic shifts. Sometimes the differences reflect an evolution in what is happening on the inside—the buildings’ function. For the sake of convenience, we tend to group buildings with similar characteristics together, constituting a “style.” The terms Greek Revival, Brutalist, or Deconstructivist, for instance, are used in architecture to describe consistent stylistic moves, gestures, and characteristics within a certain period of time. But while a stylistic label makes it easier to recognize and understand groups of buildings with shared characteristics, such labels tend to focus attention on aesthetics rather than the full range of qualities that define the architecture of a given structure.
In 2009, the National Building Museum launched Three Movements in Architecture, a new lecture series that seeks to provide a broader understanding of architectural “styles.” These classroom-like programs explore significant periods in architectural history serving as a refresher course for the professional or student, or providing the novice with a chance to learn more about the world of architecture. The lectures explore the salient physical characteristics of each movement, but also explore how culture, politics, and technical innovations are reflected in the architecture of those times.
Last year, the series focused on Greek Revival, Modernism, and Art Deco. This summer, the series explores the Gothic Revival*, Brutalist, and Postmodern periods of architecture. In a lecture on July 31, Susan Piedmont-Palladino, National Building Museum curator and architecture professor at Virginia Tech’s Washington Alexandria Architecture Center, describes the origins of Brutalism and assesses the impact of this often-misunderstood movement. Then on August 7, find out from Roger K. Lewis, FAIA, architect, planner, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Architecture, and author of the “Shaping the City” column in The Washington Post, what a 37-story Chippendale façade says about architecture of the Postmodern period.
And to make the program more relevant and interactive, the Museum is making all of this information available to you in several fun, tech-savvy ways. The Museum will produce a handout for each program that lists three buildings in the Washington, D.C. area that typify the style covered in that lecture. The handout can serve as a quick reference or can be used to create a mini architectural tour. You can view the handouts from last year’s series here. To accompany the online handouts, interactive Google maps will help you to quickly and easily navigate to the handout destinations. Once there, take some photos and upload them to the Museum’s 2010 Architecture 101 Series Flickr group. The Museum will be sharing photos and information about Gothic Revival, Brutalism, and Postmodernism through our Twitter (@buildingmuseum) and Facebook page, so make sure to get online and follow the action.
*Please note: The Gothic Revival lecture schedule for July 24, 2010 was cancelled. Click here, to find an online tour of area Gothic Revival architectural sites online.
