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“Imagine that you are traveling into Washington, D.C., from northern Virginia. As you approach the Potomac River, you see the tall, craggy, medieval-looking towers of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial Bridge looming in the foreground, largely blocking the view of the National Mall beyond. As you reach the end of the bridge, now you can clearly see the enormous pyramid that was built to honor Abraham Lincoln. Going around to the side of the pyramid, you note the odd, pagoda-like structure dedicated to George Washington—a design that was executed after the original obelisk had stood unfinished for decades. Surrounding these monuments are informal paths that meander through dense woods, which help to filter the noise from the two elevated highways running along either side of the Mall. Barely visible in the distance is the Capitol, a dignified but modest structure that looks rather like a classroom building at a liberal arts college, topped by a tiny cupola.”

The National Building Museum presents Unbuilt Washington – an exhibit that reveals what Washington could have been if a number of extravagant architectural proposals where constructed. The exhibit explores the motives and trends of the forgotten architecture, while investigating why the designs where never realized. Imagine what the impact would be if they existed today.

The exhibit began November 19th and will remain open until May 28th, 2012.

Reference: National Building Museum