For Immediate Release: May 1, 2008
Media Contacts: Sara Kabakoff

Special Lecture: Marcel Breuer: Design and Architecture

Barry Bergdoll and I.M. Pei

WHO / WHAT          

Barry Bergdoll, curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art and noted Marcel Breuer expert explores the significance of Marcel Breuer, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century in a conversation with I.M. Pei. They will discuss Breuer's work, their relationships, and the influence of Breuer in modern and contemporary design. Pei, whom was a personal friend of Breuer, offers a rare opportunity to share personal stories about this remarkable modern designer.

Bergdoll is one of the authors of Marcel Breuer: Design and Architecture, a 448-page catalogue featuring illustrations of Breuer's architecture and furniture and essays from leading architects and scholars who worked with or have been inspired by his work. In Pei's piece in the catalogue, "A Sophisticated Way of Looking Natural," taken from a 2002 conversation with Alexander von Vegesack and Mathias Remmele, Pei commented,

"I think he expressed himself in the simplest terms possible; on the other hand, he was a very sophisticated man. His work at the Bauhaus attests to that. His furniture design is comparable to that of Mies. His architecture, on the other hand, is more in time with Le Corbusier. Of course Breuer has two sides, and you do not find that in Le Corbusier, you do not find it in Mies van der Rohe."

Winner of the Pritzker Prize and the Museum's own Henry C. Turner Prize, I.M. Pei, is well-known as a master of modern architecture. In addition to his work with Breuer, Pei's projects span the globe and include the National Gallery of Art East Wing, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the iconic glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, and the Miho Museum in Japan.

This lecture is held in conjunction with Marcel Breuer: Design and Architecture, which will be open for viewing.

WHERE 

National Building Museum
401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)                                                                                  

WHEN                       

Thursday, January 17, 2008
6:30 – 8:00 pm:  Special Lecture with Barry Bergdoll and I.M. Pei
(schedule weather permitting)
$12 Museum members and students; $20 nonmembers. Prepaid registration required.
Walk-in registration based on availability. To register, visit www.www.nbm.org or call 202.272.2448.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.www.nbm.org.