National Building Museum

THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM INSPIRES CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD WE DESIGN AND BUILD.

EXHIBITIONS:IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM PRESENTED ELEVEN EXHIBITIONS THAT EXAMINED AND INTERPRETED THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. HOUSE AND HOME IS A LONG-TERM EXHIBITION THAT TAKES VISITORS ON A TOUR OF HOUSES BOTH FAMILIAR AND SURPRISING, THROUGH PAST AND PRESENT, CHALLENGING OUR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE AT HOME IN AMERICA.PLAY WORK BUILD TAKES CHILDREN AND ADULTS ALIKE THROUGH AN EXPLORATION OF PLAY WITH AN IMMERSIVE, HANDS-ON INSTALLATION FEATURING MOLDED FOAM BLOCKS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND AN ORIGINAL VIRTUAL BLOCK PLAY EXPERIENCE.ANIMALS COLLECTED SHOWCASES A SELECTION OF ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTS DEPICTING ANIMALS, BOTH REAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL, AS DECORATIVE ELEMENTS. AS ORNAMENT ON MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS, CHURCHES AND WAREHOUSES, ANIMALS HAVE APPEARED ON STRUCTURES AND STATUES ACROSS TIME, GEOGRAPHY, AND FUNCTION.MURALS THAT MATTER WAS CREATED FOLLOWING THE PROTESTS FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD WHEN MUCH OF DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON, DC WAS BOARDED UP. IN RESPONSE, THE DOWNTOWNDC BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND P.A.I.N.T.S. INSTITUTE INVITED LOCAL ARTISTS TO PAINT THE PLYWOOD COVERING THE WINDOWS OF BUSINESSES, TRANSFORMING THEM FROM A SIGNAL TO KEEP AWAY, TO A SIGN OF HOPE AND WELCOMING. AS THESE MURALS WERE DISMANTLED, THE MUSEUM STEPPED IN TO BRING THEM TOGETHER FOR A SINGLE PRESENTATION ON THE WEST LAWN. IN ADDITION, 6 ADDITIONAL MURALS OF THE "BIG SIX" WHO ORGANIZED THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON WERE CREATED AS PART OF WEEKEND-LONG PROGRAM CELEBRATING THE 2020 MARCH ON WASHINGTON.THE NEW VISITOR CENTER PROVIDES VISITORS WITH A WELCOMING AND ENGAGING INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSEUM, ITS MISSION, AND THE BREADTH OF ITS SUBJECT MATTER. THE ENTRY ROOM FEATURES A DESK FOR PURCHASING EXHIBITION TICKETS, INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING MUSEUM PROGRAMS, AND AN INSTALLATION OF OBJECTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION. THE SECOND AND THIRD GALLERIES PROVIDE AN ORIENTATION AND INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPLEXITIES AND IMPACT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THROUGH DISPLAYS, VIDEOS, AND INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS, AS WELL AS EXAMPLES OF "EMBODIED ARCHITECTURE," HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW DESIGNERS MAKE CHOICES FOR STRUCTURES, SPACES, AND LANDSCAPES.JUSTICE IS BEAUTY: THE WORK OF MASS DESIGN GROUP SHOWCASES A NONPROFIT ARCHITECTURE FIRM WHOSE WORK FOCUSES ON PUBLIC HEALTH, PERSONAL WELL-BEING, AND HUMAN DIGNITY. OVER ITS FIRST DECADE, MASS DESIGN GROUP HAS PAVED THE WAY IN DESIGNING HEALTH STRUCTURES THAT MANAGE DISEASE OUTBREAKS SUCH AS TUBERCULOSIS, CHOLERA, AND EBOLA. OTHER INNOVATIVE PROJECTS INCLUDE SCHOOLS, FOOD-CONSERVATION LABS, URBAN SPACE DESIGNS, AND MEMORIALS TO COMMEMORATE CIVIL INJUSTICES.THE GUN VIOLENCE MEMORIAL PROJECT COMPRISES FOUR HOUSES, EACH BUILT OF 700 GLASS BRICKS, A REFERENCE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S. KILLED BY GUNS EVERY WEEK. OVER TIME, THE BRICKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE FILLED WITH REMEMBRANCE OBJECTS DONATED BY IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF LOVED ONES TAKEN BY GUN VIOLENCE. THE HOUSES CURRENTLY HOLD HUNDREDS OF OBJECTS INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS, BABY SHOES, GRADUATION TASSELS, JEWELRY, A JUMP ROPE, AND A PRAYER BOOK THAT REVEAL THE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF EACH VICTIM.ALAN KARCHMER: THE ARCHITECTS' PHOTOGRAPHER EXAMINES THE WORK OF A PROMINENT PHOTOGRAPHER AS WELL AS THE PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY WRIT LARGE. ON DISPLAY ARE KARCHMER'S ICONIC PORTRAITS OF WORKS BY SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL DESIGNERS AND FIRMS, AS WELL AS PERSONAL IMAGES AND ARTIFACTS THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S WORK. KARCHMER HAS BEQUEATHED HIS PROFESSIONAL ARCHIVES TO THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION.MAZE OF KNOWLEDGE WAS CONCEIVED BY D.C.-AREA SCULPTOR FOON SHAM. THIS 26-FOOT-SQUARE, 8-FOOT-HIGH LABYRINTH ENGAGES VISITORS OF ALL AGES. WITH WALLS AND HORIZONTAL BROKEN BRICK-LINE CONTOURS MADE OF WOODEN BLOCKS SOURCED FROM BUILDING MATERIALS, THE INSTALLATION RESEMBLES A DILAPIDATED STRUCTURE. THE MAZE OF KNOWLEDGE SYMBOLIZES HOW HUMANS ACQUIRE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THE RUINS OF THE PAST.NOTRE DAME TRUSS PROJECT: INSPIRED BY THE TERRIBLE APRIL 2019 FIRE THAT NEARLY DESTROYED THE NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS CATHEDRAL, MASSACHUSETTS-BASED HANDSHOUSE STUDIO, WHICH DEVELOPS PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CLASSROOM THAT ENERGIZE HISTORY THROUGH THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LARGE HISTORICAL OBJECTS PARTNERED WITH MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, AND RAISE A TRADITIONAL TIMBER-FRAME TRUSS BUILT TO THE CATHEDRAL'S SPECIFICATIONS.SUKKAH CITY: THE CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM AND NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE EDLAVITCH DC JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (DCJCC), PRESENTED SUKKAH CITY X DC, A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF CREATIVE SUKKAHS DESIGNED BY NOTABLE ARCHITECTS, ON VIEW AT THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM'S WEST LAWN AND DCJCC CAMPUS. FEATURING SEVEN SUKKAHS, EACH STRUCTURE WILL INTERPRET THE THEME OF "WELCOMING THE STRANGER" WHILE EXPLORING THE TRADITIONS OF SUKKOT.THE TOWERS OF THE WTC: 51 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAMILO JOSE VERGARA: FEW URBAN DISTRICTS IN MODERN HISTORY HAVE BEEN MORE DISCUSSED THAN LOWER MANHATTAN, AND THE WORLD TRADE CENTER (WTC) HAS HELD A PROMINENT PLACE IN ACCOUNTS OF THE AREA SINCE IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1973. RADIO ROW, A VIABLE NEIGHBORHOOD, HAD TO MAKE WAY FOR THE TWIN TOWERS, WHICH WERE WIDELY CRITICIZED ON BOTH AESTHETIC AND POLITICAL GROUNDS; MANY REGARDED THEM AS SOULLESS BEHEMOTHS AND ARROGANT SYMBOLS OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM. BUT THEIR DESTRUCTION BROUGHT A KIND OF HORROR NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TRIGGERED YEARS OF WARS AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY IN DISTANT COUNTRIES.

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS:THE FOLLOWING REPORT REFLECTS THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT THAT THE CLOSURE OF THE MUSEUM'S OPERATIONS DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, AND THE RESULTING REDUCTION IN FORCE, HAD IN THE NECESSARY SUSPENSION OF MOST ALL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING EXCEPT FOR ADULT AUDIENCES. SCHOOL PROGRAMMINGTHE MUSEUM DID NOT OFFER ANY SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN FY21 DUE TO COVID-19.OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (TEENS):THE MUSEUM DID NOT OFFER ANY OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (TEENS) PROGRAMS IN FY21 DUE TO COVID-19.OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (SUMMER CAMP): THE MUSEUM DID NOT OFFER OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH (SUMMER CAMP) IN FY20 DUE TO COVID 19.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: FAMILIES, EARLY LEARNERS, AND ALL-AGES PROGRAMMING:IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM, THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM PRESENTED SUKKAH CITH COMMUNITY DAY. THIS FREE, DAY-LONG, ALL-AGES EVENT TOOK PLACE OUTDOORS ON THE MUSUEM'S WEST LAWN AND TO CELEBRATE THE JEWISH HOLIDAY OF SUKKAH WITH AN ATTENDANCE OF 35O. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (BID), THE MUSEUM PRESENTED A SERIES OF EVENING FILMS ON ITS WEST LAWN FOR A TOTAL OF 900 ATTENDEES. THE MUSEUM PRESENTED TWO FAMILY WORKSHOPS WITH ARTIST FOON SHAM. REPETITION IN WOOD MODULES HAD AN OVERALL ATTENDANCE OF 55. THE MUSEUM OFFERED GINGERBREAD KITS FOR SALE, BUT ON A PICK-UP BASIS ONLY BECAUSE OF COVID 19. 72 KITS WERE SOLD. ADULTS:IN FY21, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CONTINUED OPERATING WITH ONE STAFF MEMBER, FOCUSING ENTIRELY ON PROGRAMMING FOR ADULT AUDIENCES. PROGRAMMING DURING THIS PERIOD PIVOTED TO ONLINE WITH EXCEPTIONS AS NOTED BELOW. THE MUSEUM PRESENTED 28 ONLINE PROGRAMS FOR ADULT AUDIENCES, SERVING A TOTAL OF 3,435 PEOPLE. THE MUSEUM'S HIGH-PROFILE LECTURE SERIES SPOTLIGHT ON DESIGN FEATURED FX COLLABORATIVE, ODA, THE NETHERLANDS CARILLON, WALTER HOOD, AND DAVID RUBIN/LAND COLLECTIVE. IN OCTOBER, THE MUSEUM'S VINCENT SCULLY PRIZE WAS PRESENTED TO MABEL O. WILSON IN A HYBRID PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL AUDIENCES. THE BOOK TALK CHATEAU LA COSTE WAS PRESENTED AS A COMPLEMENT TO THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBITION ALAN KARCHMER: THE ARCHITECT'S PHOTOGRAPHER; NARRATING THE BORDER WALL WAS PRESENTED AS A COMPLEMENT TO THE WALL/EL MURO WHAT IS A BORDER WALL?; AND MEMORIALIZING THE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE WAS PRESENTED A COMPLEMENT TO JUSTICE IS BEAUTY: THE WORK OF MASS DESIGN GROUP. PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDED THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM SOM ON A SERIES OF CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAMS LEADING UP THE MUSEUM'S ANNUAL GALA. IN OCTOBER THE MUSEUM LAUNCHED EQUITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, A SERIES EXAMINING THE ROLE THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAS AS CAUSE OF OR SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL INEQUITIES. THE TALK WITH THE ARTIST SERIES FEATURED MODERATED CONVERSATIONS WITH SCULPTOR FOON SHAM AND MURALIST LISA MARIE THALHAMMER.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS:TELLS THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS, PROGRAMS, COLLECTIONS, ACTIVITIES, THE MUSEUM SHOP, AND MORE THROUGH WEBSITE AND ONLINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ADVERTISING, PRINT COLLATERAL AND DIGITAL MARKETING ASSETS, AND EMAIL MARKETING, AS WELL AS PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.