National Building Museum
 

World Architecture Day

Date:
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Time:
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Monday, October 1 is World Architecture Day, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Union of International Architects. Celebrate architecture with activities at two iconic D.C. buildings: the National Building Museum and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Drop into either or both museums for tours, talks, activities, and more.

World Architecture Day will also be celebrated on Monday, October 1.

Free cakepops by Baked by Yael at the National Building Museum while supplies last on September 30 and October 1.
baked by yael.png

10 am–5 pm
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Independence Ave and 7th St)
The Hirshhorn’s social, humanoid robot, Pepper, will be available in the lobby to discuss the building’s architectural history.

10 am–5:30 pm
Hirshhorn
Visitors can take a self-guided architecture tour using Hirshhorn Eye, the museum’s new instant mobile art guide, to learn more about the Hirshhorn building, the newly redesigned Hiroshi Sugimoto lobby, and select works on view directly from artists who made them all from the comfort of their own mobile device.

11 am–5 pm
National Building Museum (401 F St NW)
Free cakepops by Baked by Yael. Available while supplies last.

11 am
Hirshhorn
Story time
A special edition of CUENTA-CUENTOS: STORYTIME in Spanish, the museum’s youngest visitors are invited to explore architecture through a read-aloud of Pedro Perfecto, Arquitecto and a hands-on building activity.

11:30 am–Noon
National Building Museum
Collections Tour
Meet at the information desk
Limited to 10. Take a behind the scenes tour of some of the Museum’s collection, which includes 100,000 photographic images and negatives, 130,000 architectural prints and drawings, 100 linear feet of documents, and over 20,000 objects, including material samples, building fragments, and architectural toys.

12:30–1 pm
National Building Museum
Collections Tour
Meet at the information desk
Limited to 10. Take a behind the scenes tour of some of the Museum’s collection, which includes 100,000 photographic images and negatives, 130,000 architectural prints and drawings, 100 linear feet of documents, and over 20,000 objects, including material samples, building fragments, and architectural toys.

12:30 pm
Hirshhorn Brutalist Architecture Tour
Meet in the Hirshhorn lobby
A Hirshhorn Gallery Guide-led tour will take a deeper look at the Hirshhorn’s Brutalist architecture and the museum’s newly redesigned Lobby. ASL Interpretation will be available for this tour.

1:30 pm
National Building Museum Historic Pension Building Tour
Meet at the information desk
Limited to 25. Tour the National Building Museum’s 19th century historic home and discover its architectural and engineering marvels like colossal 4-story brick columns, natural air ventilation, and a unique inter-office document delivery system.

2–2:30 pm
Hirshhorn
Talk: Brutalism: The Architecture We Love to Hate
Meet in the Plaza
Limited to 30. Join National Building Museum curator Susan Piedmont-Palladino within the iconic ringed courtyard at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and hear why the building’s brutalist architectural aesthetic, once reviled, is now enjoying a growing appreciation.

2:30 pm
National Building Museum
Discovery Cart: Arches and Trusses
Discovery Carts are interactive programs led by trained docents and provide hands-on explanation of building materials and methods. Discovery Cart programs last 30-45 minutes and are held in the Great Hall, and can host up to 25 people per cart.

3–4:30 pm, rain or shine
Walking Tour “Buildings with Holes in Them”
Meet in the Hirshhorn lobby
Limited to 25. Join National Building Museum docent Jim Carr on a lively multi-block walking tour of “buildings with holes in them” and learn why courtyards and atrium spaces serve an important role in the quality of architectural space. The tour begins at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s iconic courtyard and concludes in the National Building Museum’s Great Hall.

3:30 pm
Hirshhorn
Art and Architecture Tour
Meet in the Hirshhorn lobby
A Hirshhorn Gallery Guide will lead a tour of works on view to discover the surprising and innovative ways that art and architecture can be linked.

This event does not require an RSVP. Registered users can request event reminders.
Register