For Immediate Release: October 8, 2013
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
L.A. Lands in D.C.
Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990 Opens October 20
WHAT
The National Building Museum presents Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990, the first comprehensive survey of the architecture of mid-to-late twentieth-century Los Angeles. This major exhibition, traveling from the J. Paul Getty Museum, will shed new light on well-known landmarks, uncover hidden jewels, and explore the architectural soul of one of America’s most complex cities. Overdrive opens October 20, 2013 and will close March 10, 2014.
Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990 offers an in-depth view of the free-spirited, often experimental architecture of Los Angeles, from its ambitious freeway network, sleek corporate towers, and whimsical coffee shops, to popular shopping malls, refined steel-and-glass residences, and eclectic cultural institutions.
Original drawings, photographs, models, vintage film clips, and digital displays will reveal the complex and often underappreciated facets of L.A.’s built landscape, and will illustrate how the world’s first megacity became an internationally recognized destination with its own design vocabulary, canonized landmarks, and coveted lifestyle.
The National Building Museum will serve as the only East Coast venue for the exhibition, and Overdrive will form the centerpiece of the Museum’s fall programming.
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
WHEN
Press Preview: Thursday, October 17, 11 am. Register here or contact Emma Filar at efilar@nbm.org or 202.272.2448, ext. 3458. Features a tour by co-curators Christopher James Alexander and Martin Moeller.
IMAGES
Hi resolution images, captions, and credits available at go.nbm.org/OverdriveImages.
RELATED PROGRAMMING
A series of lectures and two film series accompany the exhibition. Learn more at go.nbm.org/OverdrivePrograms.
ABOUT
Co-organized by the Getty Research Institute and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990 was part of the initiative Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A., which celebrated Southern California's lasting impact on modern architecture through exhibitions and programs organized by seventeen area cultural institutions from April through July 2013.
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.
