Home & Design

The Virginia Mae Center.

Past + Present

Washington National Cathedral's Virginia Mae Center opens its doors

Swathed in Gothic Revival splendor, Washington National Cathedral is a familiar sight to most Washingtonians. Less well-known—but equally majestic—is the 27,000-square-foot College of Preachers, tucked behind the landmark. Conceived 20 years after the cathedral broke ground in 1907, the limestone-clad, neo-Gothic building was a school for religious studies until 2008, when changing economics closed its doors.

Ten years later, SmithGroup’s DC office was tapped by the church to turn the vacant building into the Virginia Mae Center, a hosting site for conferences and forums. The dilapidated chapel, library, lobby, refectory and cloisters were restored and reimagined as flexible meeting spaces. Dormitories were upgraded as guest rooms for residencies and retreats. Fifteen levels of rooms and hallways are now connected by elevators. The public spaces boast new technology systems. Updated landscaping allows for greater accessibility to the building while addressing stormwater-management issues. Historic flooring, light fixtures, stained glass and ornate wood ceilings have been restored or replicated.

“The design highlights a sense of discovery,” notes James Shepherd, the project’s lead architect and SmithGroup’s director of historic preservation. “It is rooted in interaction and collaboration, while encouraging appreciation of the craft behind the restored features.”

The Virginia Mae Center received a 2024 Award of Excellence for Historic Architecture from the AIA’s Northern Virginia chapter.

Renovation Architecture: SmithGroup, Washington, DC. Renovation Contracting: AllenBuilt/Eichberg Construction, Rockville, Maryland. Photography: Colin Winterbottom.

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