The Netherlands Carillon (bell tower), in Arlington, Virginia, is a 1950s gift from the people of The Netherlands to the people of the U.S. in thanks for aid during and after World War II. Learn from Kay Fanning, Historian, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, Thomas Jester, FAIA, Principal, Quinn Evans, and Diederik Oostdijk, author of Bells for America: The Cold War, Modernism, and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington (Penn State University Press, 2019) as they discuss the controversy surrounding the design and siting of the Carillon during the Cold War and the current renovations and upgrade of the tower to a Grand Carillon as part of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands by the U.S. military. The program is moderated by Thomas Luebke, FAIA, Secretary, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

UPDATE: Watch this program in the Spotlight on Design section of our Online Learning page.

This program is presented as part of the National Building Museum's 40th Birthday weeklong celebration.

Purchase Bells for America: The Cold War, Modernism, and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington through the Museum's Shop.

This program is presented free of charge. In lieu of a program fee, we ask for your support of the National Building Museum. Your donation to the Annual Fund will enable the Museum to adapt to these changing times and plan for our reopening. Thank you!

Spotlight on Design is generously supported by the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family. Additional funding for this program is provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

On the occasion of our 40th Anniversary, we would like to recognize our generous supporters.

AARP, The Rona and Jeffrey Abramson Foundation, The American Institute of Architects, American Society of Interior Designers, American Society of Landscape Architects, Arup, Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP, Bohler Engineering, Brookfield Properties, Celeste Brown, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, CBRE, Inc., Clark Construction Group, LLC, George S. Corey & Cynthia Krus, CoStar Group, Inc., David M. Schwarz Architects Charitable Foundation, DAVIS Construction, James and Shannon Davis, Todd C. DeGarmo, DPR Construction, Louisa Duemling, Michael and Pamela Feigin, Gensler, T. Michael Goodrich, Harvey | Harvey - Cleary, HDR, Inc., Alexandra Huffman, International Masonry Institute, International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust, JBG Smith, LafargeHolcim, Rafael V. Lopez and Linda I. Marks, Stephen M. Lovett, Milton and Dorothy Sarnoff Raymond Foundation, Morgan Stanley Group Inc., ODA Architecture, Perkins and Will, Procore, Whayne and Ursula Quin, The Reinsch Pierce Family Foundation by Lola C. Reinsch, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, STUDIOS Architecture, Mr. and Mrs. James W. Todd, The Tower Companies, WSP, ZGF.

Image courtesy U.S. National Park Service.