My trip to DC was sweet. I got to see alot of art, some monuments, and the inside of one great little record shop where I did some damage - more about that later.



For now, however, one of the highlights of my trip: visiting the National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art. These Neo-Classical edifices that share a courtyard  were recently renovated by British Invasion Architect Norman Foster. Sir Foster designed an outrageous glass roof over the courtyard that is distorted in ways that made it appear at times to be a physical analog to psychedelic music. Flowing and distorted, the courtyard roof is just irregular enough to create some interest in a space that otherwise might have felt quite sterile. As it was, it established a dynamic counterpoint to the regular rhythms established by the Neo Classical facades that have long defined this courtyard. Check it out next time you visit Washington and let me know what you thought about it.

http://www.fosterandpartners.com/News/132/Default.aspx