What is D.C. known for? The White House, the Washington Monument, the Capitol. What is D.C. definitely not known for? Forward-thinking, robust, sometimes outlandish, and modern architecture. Still, we’ve found room for both.

Despite its reputation as an old city, D.C. has a fine collection of modern architecture on display throughout its neighborhoods. From libraries to embassies to museums, you’ll find thought-provoking exteriors just begging the question: “I wonder what it looks like inside?”

The Westlight - Foggy Bottom

Rendering courtesy of The Westlight

The Westlight is an apartment building in Foggy Bottom, just north of Washington Circle, and is home to a cafe and the West End Library. Designed by Enrique Norten and featuring the work of artist Ingo Maurer, the all-glass exterior offers staggered floors, one overlapping another as you look up the building. The interior features large white support beams, creating a sleek yet industrial feel.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - Foggy Bottom

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Just south of Washington Circle in Foggy Bottom is The Kennedy Center. This massive structure overlooking the Potomac River was first envisioned in the late 1950s, when President Eisenhower committed funding to a center dedicated to the performing arts. The original plan was to name it the National Cultural Center. President Kennedy took over the plan when he took office. After his assassination, President Johnson passed a bill to rename it The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater - Southwest Waterfront

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre photo courtesy of Ron Cogswell

Another arts center along the water is Arena Stage in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. The main atrium is surrounded by towering walls of glass that overlook the Washington Channel. Big wooden pillars frame the scene. The interior is clean, open, and a perfect space for events. I attended a wedding here a few years back, and found the space somehow modern and timeless at once.

House of Sweden - Georgetown

House of Sweden photo courtesy of Elvert Barnes 

The House of Sweden boasts exactly the kind of Scandinavian design you would expect something with such a name to have. Home to the embassies of Sweden and Iceland, this Georgetown building was designed by architects Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen. While its design is sleek and stunning by day, take some time to walk by at night when the exterior is strategically lit to soften and show off its perfect lines. 

German Embassy - Foxhall

German Embassy photo courtesy of Germanbo

Hidden among the residences in Foxhall is the German Embassy. Taking in this building’s grid-like design is a mathematical experience. Its tiered features aren’t easy to see from behind the large steel gate, and visitors must have a legitimate reason (i.e. obtaining a visa or meeting with a lawyer) to set up an appointment, making this building all the more unique, mysterious, and desirable to check out.

Kreeger Museum - Foxhall Crescent

Kreeger Museum photo courtesy of Ron Cogswell 

Head north of the German Embassy and you’ll find the Kreeger Museum, a building in Foxhall Crescent that looks more like a fortress than an art museum. The building was designed in the early 1960s by Philip Johnson with Richard Foster as a residence for David and Carmen Kreeger. Avid buyers of modern art, the Kreegers amassed an impressive collection that is now on display for the public in their former home. 

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School - NoMa

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School photo courtesy of APK

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in NoMa is so beautifully designed, I worry for how disappointed its graduates will be when they arrive in the often dark and dated halls of America’s colleges and universities. The school was moved multiple times to different buildings and now has a modern home near Truxton Circle. The building is somewhat Scandinavian in structure, but true to Crimson Tide pride with its generous use of red accents throughout.