7 buildings symbolizing the impact of Brutalist architecture on Washington, D.C.

“Capital Brutalism” – an exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., co-organized with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA) and on display until February 17, 2025 – explores the value of Brutalist buildings in the architectural identity of Washington, D.C., with archival documents, drawings, architectural models, and contemporary photographs tracing the origins of the Brutalist movement in the U.S. capital during the Cold War to the present day.

The exhibition analyzes the history, current condition, and prospects of the city’s Brutalist architecture, focusing on seven controversial structures, including the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, the Lauinger Library (Georgetown University), the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI Headquarters), the James V. Forrestal Building, and the Euram Buildings in Dupont Circle. Additionally, speculative redesigns and proposals by renowned studios such as Studio Gang, Brooks + Scarpa, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and BLDUS are presented, inviting visitors to imagine how these buildings could be transformed.