National Building Museum Washington D.C., 1992

About the Work

The view into the building has been distorted. Pillars and arcades together form an orderly and yet complex structure. The picture detail has been chosen to make the monumental architecture appear to soar upwards into infinity. The building is flooded with light and its intricate structure recalls the architectural fantasies of the kind designed by Piranesi, for example, in the eighteenth century. Candida Höfer photographs public spaces when there are no people in sight. Without the lively bustle of its visitors, the National Building Museum is also robbed of its function. Instead, the photographic view opens up unimagined perspectives on the architecture. The space unfolds in an abstract interplay of light and form and communicates something about itself and those who are absent.