When designers at DC-based Lehman Smith McLeish revamped a run-down former Patent Office building in Crystal City for its new owners, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, their plan incorporated a bonus for commuters who previously went from the below-grade garage to their offices without seeing the light of day. An open, translucent glass bridge on the street level (above) spills light into the garage-level elevator bank, giving commuters in 2121 Crystal Drive a lobby experience—and an interesting view of their co-workers—on their way to and from the office.
