For Immediate Release: July 6, 2011
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
Learn about Architecture in Three Saturdays in July
National Building Museum offers lectures and self-guided tour sheets of D.C. architecture in Summer Architecture 101 series
WHO/WHAT
Novices or professionals can learn about significant movements in architectural history—Gothic Revival, Frank Lloyd Wright: Prairie School, and the Glass Box—at the National Building Museum.
Gothic Revival
Saturday, July 9, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
During the mid-19th century, the revival of medieval forms of architecture—pointed arches, tracery, towers, and turrets—stood in contrast to the prevalent classicism of the time. Margaret M. Grubiak, Ph.D., assistant professor of architectural history at Villanova University, explores this prolific period in architecture. Attendees receive a special $10 admission rate at President Lincoln’s Cottage, itself a fine example of Cottage Gothic architecture. 1.5 LU (AIA)
Frank Lloyd Wright: The Prairie School
Saturday, July 16, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
The Prairie Houses of 1895 to 1910, created by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, were inspired by the flat terrain of the American Midwest and are characterized by bold horizontal lines and masses, open interior spaces, and a careful balance between the building and the surrounding terrain. David Bagnall, director of interpretation for Sites and Collections at the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, Oak Park, Illinois, discusses the Prairie School phenomenon through the work of Wright and his contemporaries. 1.5 LU (AIA)
The Glass Box
Saturday, July 23, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Long used pejoratively, the term “glass box” described the cold, abstract, often lifeless curtain-wall structures common in the corporate world of the 1950s and ‘60s. Many of these buildings were also environmentally disastrous, requiring vast amounts of energy for heating and cooling. Today, with advances in material technology, glass is often a smart choice from an environmental standpoint and architects are returning to the use of glass curtain walls in imaginative and varied ways. G. Martin Moeller, Jr., National Building Museum senior vice president and curator, looks at the resurgence of this building type and reveals an emerging “cool” factor. 1.5 LU (AIA)
Self-guided tour sheets of D.C. architecture for all three movements will be available at go.nbm.org/Architecture101 for anyone who wants a closer look at the architectural styles featured in the lectures.
WHEN
Gothic Revival: Saturday, July 9, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Frank Lloyd Wright: The Prairie House: Saturday, July 16, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
The Glass Box: Saturday, July 23, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
Special series pricing for all three:
$30 Member | $30 Student | $50 Non-member
Individual lecture price:
$12 Museum | $12 Student | $20 Non-member
Prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
To register visit www.nbm.org or call 202.272.2448.
CONTACT
Stacy Adamson, sadamson@nbm.org, 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.
