Washington University to explore history with exhibition

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - popularly known as the St. Louis Gateway Arch - is the tallest monument in the United States and an icon of modern architecture, its great stainless steel arc embodying strength, elegance and simplicity.

Yet creation of the Arch was anything but simple. Indeed, it is a story of frequent uncertainty and sometime bitter controversy, as planning, design and construction stretched across more than three decades. From Jan. 30 to March 9 the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis will explore that history with an exhibition and symposium titled On the Riverfront: The Gateway Arch and St. Louis.