NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM Nonprofit Organization 401 F Street NW Washington, DC 20001 U.S. Postage Paid Washington, DC 202.272.2448 / www.NBM.org Permit No. 488 Red Line Metro, Judiciary Square MUSEUM HOURS Monday –Saturday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm Sunday, 11:00 am–5:00 pm Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM blueprints Prairie Skyscraper: The Green House: Cityscapes Revealed: Washington: Symbol and City Frank Lloyd Wright’s New Directions in Highlights from Long-term Price Tower Sustainable Architecture the Collection ons A seminal exhibition about through September 17, 2006 and Design Long-term the complex city that the through June 3, 2007 The only true skyscraper The first exhibition presenting Museum calls home. designed by Wright that was The second in a series of major a cross-section of items from Spectacular, large-scale historic actually constructed, the Price National Building Museum the Museum’s own collection, and contemporary models Tower is a glimmering jewel exhibitions on sustainable including drawings, photo- give visitors an intimate of a building. The exhibition design, The Green House begins graphs, material samples, understanding of the city’s includes original drawings, with a full-scale, furnished and artifacts from National past and possible future. fascinating samples of corre- replica of an environmentally- Historic Landmarks. spondence between Wright and friendly house. Also featured the project’s client, furniture, are photographs and models and a large model of the tower. of exemplary houses and current exhibiti apartment buildings from around the world, plus a resource room with many examples of materials that are both green and attractive. BLUEPRINTS VOLUME XXI, NO. 2 Blueprints is the quarterly journal of the Volume XXIV, No. 3 Summer 2006 National Building Museum. Subscriptions INSIDE THIS ISSUE: are a benefit of Museum membership. • The Pope-Leighey House Blueprints ©2006 All rights reserved • No Ordinary Clients: ISSN 0742-0552 The Story of Luis and Ethel Marden editor / G. Martin Moeller, Jr. designer / Jennifer Byrne • An Interview with James Kimsey • “Coonley” and “Wright” TRUSTEES AND STAFF BOARD OF TRUSTEES Honorary Trustees STAFF Paul F. Killmer Special Events Harold L. Adams Director of Public Programs Christopher Frame Officers Howard M. Bender Administration Scott Kratz Director of Special Events Chair M. Arthur Gensler Jr. Jennifer Bertsch Vice President for Education Charles Shelby Carolyn Brody Thomas J. Klutznick Executive Assistant and Ann Lambson Special Events Coordinator Stuart A. McFarland Manager of Board Relations Contents Chair Elect Director of Youth Education Bill Snitzer Robert McLean III Michael J. Glosserman Don Holstrom Kathryn McGill Special Events Coordinator Elizabeth B. Moynihan Vice Chairs Systems Administrator Outreach Programs Coordinator Marilyn Perry Gilbert E. DeLorme Betsy May-Salazar Visitor Services 1 The National Mallory Walker Jennifer Michaelree Message from the Executive Director David C. Evans Vice President for Finance Kristi Cotner Leonard A. Zax Associate Youth Groups Building Will Miller and Administration Coordinator Tour and Volunteer Coordinator Robert A.M. Stern Founding Trustees G. Martin Moeller, Jr. Barry Edmunds Museum Sarah Petty Rice 3 The Pope-Leighey House Secretary Cynthia R. Field Senior Vice President Family Programs Coordinator Weekend Assistant Museum David C. Evans and Curator Services Manager explores Herbert M. Franklin Sarah Smith Treasurer Edward T. Hall Chase W. Rynd Youth Education Assistant Danielle Flores Robert H. Braunohler Executive Director Administrative Assistant/ 8 No Ordinary Clients: the world Nancy Stevenson Jaime Van Mourik Receptionist President Beverly Willis Rebecca Warwick Public Programs Coordinator The Story of Luis and Ethel Marden we build Chase W. Rynd Human Resources Manager Ronald Keith Fulwood Ex Officio Trustees Development Information Desk Specialist for ourselves— Trustees The Honorable Dirk Kempthorne Finance Suzanne Bissell David Kaplan Secretary, U.S. Department 12 The Marden House: from our homes, William B. Alsup III Diane Beckham Director of Individual Giving Information Desk Specialist Frank Anton of the Interior Controller Sangita Chari Annie Kalinowski skyscrapers and public buildings to Thomas N. Armstrong III The Honorable Alphonso Jackson An Interview with James Kimsey Laura Leonard Foundation and Government Tour and Volunteer Assistant David S. Bender Secretary, U.S. Department of Accounting Coordinator Relations Manager our parks, bridges, and cities. Through Deborah Berke Housing and Urban Development Rose Marie Kirwin William M. Brennan Curatorial Michael Dunagan Information Desk Specialist 14 “Coonley” and “Wright” exhibitions, education programs, and The Honorable James M. Inhofe Director of Institutional Giving Joan Bagget Calambokidis Chairman, Senate Committee on Chrysanthe B. Broikos Doris Landau Elika Hemphill publications, the Museum seeks to Donald A. Capoccia Environment and Public Works Curator Information Desk Specialist Kent W. Colton Director of Development Events The Honorable Don Young Shelagh M. Cole Susan Mittleman 15 Museum News educate the public about achievements Dennis J. Cotter Melinda Hungerman Chairman, House Committee on Registrar/ Manager of Traveling Information Desk Specialist Christopher Dorval Corporate and Association in architecture, design, engineering, Transportation and Infrastructure Exhibitions Bryan Norman John P. Gleason, Jr. Relations Manager Museum Operations Coordinator Mike Goodrich Lurita Doan Catherine Crane Frankel 18 Support urban planning, and construction. Caitlin Irvin Allen Travitz Delon Hampton Administrator, General Services Director of Exhibitions Development Assistant Visitor Services Manager Gary Haney Administration and Collections Melissa Slaughter Robert W. Holleyman, II David L. Winstead Cecelia Gibson Membership Manager Gallery Representatives 20 Mystery Building The Museum is supported by contributions Joseph F. Horning, Jr. Commissioner, Public Buildings Registrar Monique Anderson Gerald M. Howard Service, General Services William H. C. Griffith Shar Taylor William Barnes from individuals, corporations, foundations, Mercy Jiménez Administration Exhibitions Coordinator Vice President for Development Patricia Cunningham Frederick A. Kober Mary Zehe associations, and public agencies. The Honorable Alan M. Hantman Reed Haslach Harriet Cywinski A. Eugene Kohn Assistant Director of Development Architect of the Capitol Curatorial Associate Barry Edmunds Stephen S. Lash Allen Weinstein Matthew Kuhnert Beverly Fennell Terrence M. McDermott Marketing & Communications Archivist of the United States Curatorial Associate Jessie Harley Deryl McKissack Jennifer Byrne The Honorable James H. Billington Jennifer Heimbecker Hollis S. McLoughlin Christopher Maclay Publications Designer Librarian of Congress Louise Johnson Brian T. McVay Preparator Bryna Lipper Nathaniel Kulyk Melissa A. Moss Lawrence M. Small Susan Piedmont-Palladino Director of Marketing and Barry Lustberg Robert A. Peck Secretary, Smithsonian Institution Curator Communications Jana Martin Whayne S. Quin Richard Moe Laura Schiavo Kevin Morse Nanci McCollum Philippe Rollier President, National Trust for Curator Website Administrator Carla Patterson Richard M. Rosan Historic Preservation Deborah Sorensen Julia Neubauer Erma Person Stephen M. Ross Christine McEntee Curatorial Associate Editor/Writer Seymour Selig Deborah Ratner Salzberg Executive Vice President and Matthew Seymour Stephen E. Sandherr Dana Twersky Lauren Searl Chief Executive Officer Crystal Watson Eric Thorkilsen Senior Registrar Marketing and Communications The American Institute of Mary West James W. Todd MaryJane E. Valade Associate Architects Shamika White Norbert W. Young, Jr. Exhibitions Designer and Preparator Museum Shop Karen Whitehair Leslie Bradshaw Sarah Whitelow Education Assistant Manager Evelyn Wilson Fred Wilson Corinne Cannon Marcia Diehl Viktor Zavadsky Youth Groups Coordinator Operations Manager Liz Guthrie Scott Glasscoe Assistant Outreach Programs Inventory Specialist Coordinator Michael Higdon Mary Hendrickse Retail Manager Assistant Youth Groups Tom Ziolkowski Coordinator cover / The main living area of the Associate Marden House, in McLean, Virginia, by Frank Lloyd Wright. Photo by Robert C. Lautman, courtesy of Lautman Photography. MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Frank Lloyd Wright’s Tower on the Prairie HE WORD “GENIUS” IS OFTEN USED TOO This unusual and fascinating building casually, but it seems to be quite legiti- is the subject of an exhibition titled Prairie Tmately applied to Frank Lloyd Wright. Skyscraper: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower, In a career spanning nearly three quarters which is on view at the National Building of a century, Wright was at the vanguard Museum through September 17. Organized of dramatic theoretical, technological, and by the Price Tower Arts Center, which stylistic shifts in architecture—not just owns—and occupies part of—the build- once, but several times. While he designed ing, the exhibition delves into the history buildings all across the country and even of the tower’s design. It includes drawings, overseas, he maintained a strong affinity photographs, original furniture, corre- for the vast American prairie, where he spondence between Wright and his client, was born and spent most of his life. Under- and samples of the building’s architectural standably, therefore, many of Wright’s most ornament. The