The George Washington Bridge, finished in 1931 as designed by Swiss-American Othmar Ammann, spans the Hudson River to connect New York and New Jersey. This structure and other works of architecture are the focus of "The Art of Structure" opening Sept. 25 at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

PITTSBURGH — "The Art of Structure" will open Sept. 25 at Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave.

In the Heinz Architectural Center, "The Art of Structure" explores radical works of 20th-century engineering that are now in the canon of Modernist design.

These projects, presented primarily through three-dimensional models, range from bridges spanning vertiginous valleys in the Swiss Alps to extraordinarily thin shells sheltering public markets in mid-century Mexico.

About 20 models are complemented by original drawings, notebooks and photographs.

Notable projects include the Los Manantiales restaurant near Mexico City, the Bacardi Rum factory in Mexico, Salginatobel Bridge in rural Switzerland, and the George Washington Bridge connecting Manhattan and New Jersey.

The objects on view not only reveal an understanding of engineering principles and the construction process but also convey the emotive power of structure.

The exhibit will run through Jan. 17.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays with extended hours until 8 p.m. Thursdays plus noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays.

Admission, which include the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens age 65 and older; $11 for students with ID and children ages 3 to 18, and free for children younger than 3.

For more information, call 412-622-3131 or visit the website www.cmoa.org.