National Gallery of Art plans birthday bash for I.M. Pei's 100th

Since it first opened in 1978, I.M. Pei’s modern, AIA award-winning East Building at the National Gallery of Art has been an architectural stunner worth seeing alongside architect John Russell Pope's neoclassical West Building. In anticipation of I.M. Pei’s 100th birthday, the National Gallery of Art is planning a centennial celebration of the architect.

On April 26., architect Perry Y. Chin and Susan Wertheim, chief architect and deputy administrator for capital projects, will honor Pei’s legacy and his designs in the East Building Auditorium. The event will occur at 3:30 p.m.

During the event, Chin will share experiences working on the recently completed East Building renovation.

In September 2016, the National Gallery of Art's East Building renovation completed with three new exhibitions open to the public. The renovation also featured more than 12,000 square feet of new exhibition space, a new elevator, new sets of stairs to every floor, and a 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace.

Photo by Dennis Brack/Black Star, courtesy of National Gallery of Art

• A Centennial Celebration of I. M. Pei at the National Gallery of Art [National Gallery of Art]