Change Agent
When American University’s stately, neoclassical McKinley Building began life in 1907, it occupied a prominent spot on the Northwest DC campus. However, later expansion…
Beacon of Energy
The vibrant, new global headquarters of the education-technology company Ellucian occupies the top three floors of a nondescript, six-story office building in Reston, Virginia….
Learning Curve
When Marymount University decided to rebuild its aging Ballston Center, located at the corner of a busy Arlington intersection, it embraced an unusual paradigm….
View From the Top
Opening to the public on June 21, The Observation Deck at CEB Tower in Rosslyn showcases 360-degree views of the nation’s capital—and far beyond—from…
Performance Art
Nestled in 51-acre Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods in Columbia, Maryland, The Chrysalis is part architecture, part art installation. The brainchild of New York-based…
Gilded Age
Home to DC’s venerable Cosmos Club since 1952, the landmark Townsend House was designed in 1898 by architecture firm Carrère and Hastings with all…
Encore: Glass Ceiling
Many DC-area residents will recall DAR Constitution Hall, the site of countless high-school graduation ceremonies. But the Daughters of the American Revolution headquarters on…
Encore
The famed (and infamous) Watergate Hotel has long called to mind modern architecture, a swanky Washington clientele—and a deliciously scandalous past. A comprehensive $125…
Encore
Developers challenged architect Mark McInturff to transform three neighboring 1960s-era Rockville warehouses into a sustainably designed, state-of-the-art office building that will serve as a…
Applause: West End Revival
The Fairmont Washington, DC is a quintessential “Washington” spot—a stately, limestone-clad hotel with a venerable history located in fashionable West End. Now, a revitalization…
Applause: Landmark Restored
The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building stands center stage on the National Mall. Also known as the Castle, it’s embellished with Gothic Revival spires…
Applause: Living History
The Washington Navy Yard’s diminutive Watch Box has had a checkered past. First erected around 1840 as a sentry post for marines guarding the…
Grand Entrance
During a recent walk through Washington’s Union Station, the 96-foot ceiling of the Main Hall fairly gleamed. The ornately coffered plaster surface, now punctuated…
Applause: Play of Light
Clearly, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art has staying power. In 2004, it won an American Institute of Architects Twenty-Five Year…
Applause: Making History
On the eve of its September 24 grand opening, the long-awaited Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture beckons from its spot…
Stage Set
Downtown Baltimore’s historic Mercantile Trust and Deposit Co. Building has been rejuvenated, courtesy of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. The 1885 stone-and-brick Romanesque Revival structure,…
Fitting Tribute
The National Museum of the Marine Corps first opened its doors in 2006. Designed by Fentress Architects and owned by the Marine Corps Heritage…
Applause: Reading Room
The new Slover Library anchors the revitalized downtown area near Norfolk’s waterfront. Its three volumes reflect vastly different eras and styles: the circa-1900 Classical…
Applause
A venerable grand dame on downtown Washington’s hospitality scene, the Morrison-Clark Inn has shed its Victorian mantle for a fresh new look. After the…
Retail Connection
Located in Southwest DC, L’Enfant Plaza and the adjacent 10th Street Promenade were the 1960s brainchildren of architect I.M. Pei. Flanked by a series…