An opening reception for the exhibition will follow. This exhibition examines how recent designs for the memorials and monuments represent fresh ways of interpreting people, events, or ideas of natural significance. Recent memorial designs, from Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the World War II Memorial, have ignited debate about the appropriate architectural expression for works commemorating individuals, ideas, and events of national significance. Designs featured include entries to the Japanese American, Martin Luther King, Jr., and World War II Memorial competitions, as well as hypothetical monuments and embellished public spaces on sites throughout the nation's capital. The National Building Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is a private, nonprofit institution that examines and interprets American achievements in building through exhibitions, education programs, and publications.
Admission is free.