| HOME RULE: ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES |
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Pavilion of Dreams
Leo Daly III waxes poetic about a favorite source of inspiration
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AS AN ARCHITECT I am constantly
inspired by designs I
encounter in the world around
me. And although inspiration can
come from even the most everyday
sources—a fashion spread, a
natural vista—sometimes a visit to
a rarefied collection is required to
replenish the creative well.
One of my favorite places in
Washington to experience richly
inspiring works in an idyllic setting
is Dumbarton Oaks, which
recently completed a three-year
renovation of its galleries. Home
to a noted research library and
museum with important collections of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art, as
well as landscape architecture studies, this former home of Mildred and
Robert Woods Bliss is also prized for its sprawling gardens.
After the Georgetown property was acquired by the couple in 1920, the
original Federal-style house and grounds underwent a series of renovations
and additions, including gardens by noted landscape architect
Beatrix Farrand. The Blisses donated the property and their
collection to Harvard University in 1940.
The unparalleled Byzantine artworks amassed by the pair are
arranged in refurbished galleries within the main house and comprise
more than 1,200 objects from the fourth to the 15th centuries,
including jewelry, cloisonné enamels, precious-metal vessels,
ivory icons, and illuminated manuscripts. European masterpieces
and furnishings are exhibited in the museum’s formal
Music Room, which features a hand-painted beamed ceiling and
a towering 16th-century stone fireplace from France.
Though the entire property is captivating, there is one portion of
Dumbarton Oaks that I find especially moving: the elegantly designed
pavilion housing the Robert Woods Bliss Collection of Pre-Columbian
Art, which opened to the public in 1963. Designed by world-renowned
architect Philip Johnson, with whom I had the privilege of collaborating on
several projects overseas, the space is an elegant counterpoint to the
Neoclassical and Renaissance influences found in the main house.
Nestled within a grove of trees, the structure, known as the Philip Johnson
Pavilion, consists of eight interconnected, domed, circular chambers surrounding
an open courtyard and fountain. With its floor-to-ceiling curved windows,
the wing is flooded with daylight and views of the surrounding woodland. The
succession of domes and wooden floors that radiate out from the center creates
a gentle rhythm as one moves from room to room. Though fully enclosed, the
space seems to be intimately connected to the outdoors, lending it an almost
templelike atmosphere. The
pavilion provides a serene backdrop
for the impressive collection
of Pre-Columbian artwork from
Central America, modern-day
Colombia and Venezuela, and
the Andes. Ceramic vessels, figurines,
jade pieces, textiles, stone
carvings, and masks are displayed
on clear acrylic stands and
in cases, and seem to be suspended
in space and time.
Whether you’re seeking inspiration
or an escape from daily
life, Dumbarton Oaks is certain
to be a rewarding destination.
The gardens are open March 15 to October 31, Tuesday through Sunday, from
2 to 6 P.M. Admission is $8; children and senior citizens, $5. Admission is free
to the museum and shop, which are open Tuesday through Sunday from 2 to 5
P.M. Dumbarton Oaks, 1703 32nd Street NW, 202-339-6401; doaks.org. |
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