The New Real Estate Bubble

You've probably walked by the Hirshhorn museum without knowing it. On the Mall in Washington, surrounded by the picturesque Smithsonian Castle, with its bright red turrets, and the National Archives, with its dramatic classical facade, the Hirshhorn tends to fade into the background.

Despite its distinctive donut shape, the Hirshhorn's placement (behind a sculpture garden) and its overall demeanor (gray and windowless) make it easy to miss.

But the museum's new director -- who hails from L.A. and helped build that city's dramatic Disney Concert Hall -- has a plan to enliven the building's architecture.