I.M. Pei’s East Building of the National Gallery of Art 🏛️✨

The East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, completed in 1978, was designed by the legendary architect I.M. Pei. 🧑🎨✏️ An underground corridor connects the new wing with the original building, while above ground, you’ll see fountains and pyramid-shaped glass skylights—elements that Pei later famously expanded in his redesign of the Louvre entrance in Paris! 💧🔺🇫🇷 Inside, the space is defined by crisp geometry and clean lines, creating an open, luminous atmosphere 🌟📐. One of the most mesmerizing features is the water from the ground-level fountain, which cascades down alongside the stairs and transforms into a stunning waterfall wall on the lower level 💦🏞️. Sunlight filters through the glass pyramids, casting ever-changing patterns of light and movement—pure architectural magic! ✨🌞 The East Building focuses mainly on modern and contemporary art 🖼️🎨. Here, you can find works from Picasso’s early "Blue Period" and "Rose Period." Seeing these pieces reminded me of the massive Picasso exhibition I visited years ago at the Ullens Center in Beijing—it’s incredible to think about the effort of gathering loans from museums across different continents! 🌍🖌️🙌 I’ve passed by this building many times, and from the outside, I used to think even a master like Pei might have been constrained by DC’s strict design rules… but the interior tells a completely different story—bold, imaginative, and breathtaking 🏙️💫. #ArtGalleryLove #ArchitectureLovers #I.M.Pei #NationalGalleryOfArt #ModernArchitecture #WashingtonDC #DMVArt #MuseumDesign #ContemporaryArt #ArchitecturalGem #DCGuide #ArtAndSpace #GeometricDesign #LightAndWater #CulturalDC