For Immediate Release: March 13, 2007
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Atherton Lecture & Symposium: News Release
First Annual Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture and Framing a Capital City Symposium
WASHINGTON, DC—While Washington, DC's L'Enfant Plan has withstood the test of time during the city's 200-year history, the national capital continues to evolve, balancing the permanence of monuments and memorials with the dynamic changes of a living city.
Organized collaboratively by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), and the National Building Museum, the first annual Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture and Framing a Capital City Symposium will guide the National Capital Framework Plan, a joint NCPC-CFA initiative to plan for the 21st century.
"The National Capital Framework Plan will create important new places for cultural and commemorative attractions throughout the city and improve access and connections to these sites," said NCPC Chairman John V. Cogbill, III. "Our goal is to provide ways to seamlessly extend desirable attributes of the National Mall to other areas of Washington."
At the Framing a Capital City symposium experts and authors from across the country will discuss the landscape of commemoration and symbolic narrative beyond the National Mall, the creation of a more sustainable urban ecology, the evolution of the use of public space and architecture in Washington, and the challenges facing local and federal authorities to build a capital city that honors our nation's achievements while maintaining the qualities of a livable city for both residents and tourists.
Speakers include: Lucy Barber, author, Marching on Washington the Forging of an American Political Tradition; Larry Beasley, former Director of Planning for the City of Vancouver; Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, University of Virginia School of Architecture; Joe Brown, president and CEO, EDAW; Maurice Cox, associate professor, University of Virginia School of Architecture and City Counselor for the City of Charlottesville; Judy Scott Feldman, chairman, National Coalition to Save our Mall; Alex Krieger, professor in practice, Harvard Graduate School of Design Department of Urban Planning and Design; Dan Tangherlini, city administrator and deputy mayor, Washington, DC; Lawrence Vale, professor of urban studies and planning at MIT; and Michael Z.Wise, author of Capital Dilemma: Germany's Search for a New Architecture of Democracy. Robert Ivy, editor-in-chief, Architectural Record, will moderate the symposium.
"The National Building Museum's role in facilitating debate about urban planning is reinforced by presenting this important event that will explore the development of our nation's capital. Along with our partners, we feel it is crucial to provide a forum for this discussion," says Chase Rynd, executive director of the Museum.
Dedicated to providing a forum for discourse on the planning and design of Washington, DC, the Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture series commemorates the life and legacy of Charles Atherton, who served for almost four decades as Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The program examines the architectural, historical, and natural context of the city and its development to promote visionary planning and design excellence in the nation's capital. "The Charles Atherton Memorial Lecture program has been made possible by private donations made in his memory and reflects his love for Washington," says Thomas Luebke, current Secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts. "We see this lecture honoring his contribution to the city as a keynote event for the symposium." In this inaugural program, David Childs, FAIA, will discuss the past, present, and future of the planning of Washington, DC.
The Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture will be held at the National Building Museum from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, on the Tuesday, April 10, 2007. The following day, April 11th, the Framing a Capital City Symposium will be held, featuring four discussion sessions throughout the day. For more information on both events, please visit www.nbm.org or call 202.272.2448.
The Charles H. Atherton Memorial Lecture is supported by generous contributions to the Charles H. Atherton Memorial Fund. Prepaid registration required. $12 Museum Members and students; $20 nonmembers.
Framing A Capital City is being hosted and sponsored by the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in partnership with the National Building Museum. Free. Registration required. To register go to www.nbm.org.
The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government's central planning agency in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia. The Commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews the design of federal projects and memorials, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, established in 1910 by Act of Congress, is charged with giving expert advice to the President, Congress, and the heads of departments and agencies of the Federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics as they affect the Federal interest and preserve the dignity of the nation's capital.
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.
