For Immediate Release: August 3, 2009
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
House of Cars: Media Advisory
Press Preview:
October 13, 2009
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
WHAT
House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage, an exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Open from October 17, 2009 through July 11, 2010, House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage is the first major exhibition to explore this familiar structure and open conversations about parking’s role in our society and innovative parking solutions for the future.
Featuring artifacts such as a 1927 Ford Model A, sculptures and other works of art, interactive models, multimedia from popular movies and television shows, and historic photographs, House of Cars explores how the built environment has evolved to accommodate the automobile. The exhibition also highlights innovative parking solutions from the past century including images of the first underground garages, a touchable model of a ramp system, and parking garage designs by famous architects including Santiago Calatrava and Frank Lloyd Wright.
In conjunction with House of Cars, the National Building Museum is developing a variety of education programs that will further examine some of the topics in the exhibition. A lecture series will include programs that explore the future of parking and an overview of the cost of designing cities for cars instead of people. The Museum will also host a film series titled Guys, Guns & Garages that explores the parking garage as a location in 1970s action films and thrillers, and as a space of unsettling encounters in contemporary short films and dance.
The presenting sponsor of House of Cars: Innovation and the Parking Garage is the National Parking Association.
CURATORS
Sarah Leavitt, Curator
WHEN
October 17, 2009 – July 11, 2010
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW (Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
First Floor Galleries
CONTACT
Marketing and Communications Department, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
