
Imposing monsters or iconic landmarks?
That’s the question at the center of Capital Brutalism, a new exhibit at the National Building Museum exploring the architectural style that seemingly defines our nation’s capital.
The Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, the Hirshhorn Museum of Sculpture Garden, the Hubert H. Humphrey Building and the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation (considered the ugliest building in the world), among other D.C. landmarks, are all examples of the bold and blocky aesthetic we call Brutalism, a style that either evokes awe or aversion.
Capital Brutalism delves into the past, present and potential future of seven controversial Brutalist buildings and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) system. The exhibition features archival documents, drawings, architectural models, and photographs by Ty Cole to illustrate how Brutalism emerged in the U.S. capital during the Cold War.
The exhibit also chronicles the movement’s social consequences. Brutalism gained momentum in D.C. in the 1960s and 70s, driven by federal urban renewal initiatives that gave rise to Brutalist landmarks like Marcel Breuer’s Weaver Building and I.M. Pei’s L’Enfant Plaza, as well as Interstate 395. These developments, however, came at a cost, displacing thousands of businesses and minority families.

Today, D.C.’s Brutalist buildings face costly renovations or demolitions, leading architects to explore new possibilities. The exhibit features speculative redesigns by renowned architecture firms, as well as students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Architecture, inviting visitors to contemplate how we can coexist with these buildings in the future.
"As the only U.S. cultural institution dedicated to the built environment, we could not be more excited to open an exhibition that focuses on buildings right here in our own backyard,” says Aileen Fuchs, president and executive director of the National Building Museum. "Capital Brutalism promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the architectural history, cultural significance, and the enduring legacy of Brutalist architecture, whose beauty often goes unnoticed, in Washington, D.C.”
It is the largest-ever survey of Brutalist architecture in Washington, D.C.
Capital Brutalism is co-curated by Dr. Angela Person, associate professor of architecture at the University of Oklahoma, and co-organized with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA).
The exhibit will be on display at the National Building Museum through Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
Brutalist Reimagining Contributors:
- Studio Gang, including Jeanne Gang, Anika Schwarzwald, Alissa Anderson, Jay Hoffman, Austin Chod, and Manon Marimbert, as well as structural engineering consultants Joseph Burns and Thornton Tomasetti, and Labtop Rendering.
- Brooks + Scarpa, including Lawrence Scarpa, Ryan Clement, Iliya Muzychuk,Kiki Guo, Zongli Li, Ahmad Chehab, Matthew Hunt, Calder Scarpa, Karen Lopez, and Joseph Kim.
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro, including Elizabeth Diller, David Allin, Dustin Tobias, William Arbizu, James Brucz, Michael Etzel, Felipe Ferrer, Matthew Ostrow, and Haruka Saito.
- BLDUS, including Andrew Linn, Jack Becker, Adam Ainslie, Chris Parschalk, and Theo Morrow
- Gensler, including John Adams, Jeff Barber, Shawn Gehle, Rob Jernigan, Li Wen, Christine Barber, Jessica Griese, Heidi Konieczka, Duncan Lyons, Carrie Morrison, Chris Rhoads, Raffael Scasserra, James Schrader, Colette Smith, Ruben Smudde, Darcey Thomson, and Tam Tran.