Archinect - News

View construction time-lapse of the National Building Museum's new summer installation

2019-07-11T12:36:00-04:00

Imagine bringing the feeling of summer indoors. In conjunction with the National Building Museum's annual Summer Block Party Installation, the Rockwell Group turned the museum's Great Hall into a green-hilled summer experience. Complete with painted murals of blue skies, plenty of space to lounge as well as fun summer activities, visitors can roam throughout the transformed hall. Thanks to EarthCam, time-lapse footage of the installation's construction allows for the public to go behind the scenes and witness the building process of the Great Hall transforming into a dreamy summer environment.

Lawn. Image © Timothy Schenck.

A great way to experience a summer day without breaking a sweat, the Rockwell Group aimed to make the installation as green as possible, literally. All of the materials used, from the artificial astroturf to the repurposing of the site's scaffolding. The artificial grass is made out of plant-based materials by SynLawn. In addition to the grassy slopes, the muse...

Brutalism lovers rejoice: Plans for a new FBI headquarters are canceled

2017-07-11T14:40:00-04:00

The decision follows years of failed attempts by federal officials to persuade Congress to fully back a plan for a campus in the Washington suburbs paid for by trading away the Hoover Building to a real estate developer and putting up nearly $2 billion in taxpayer funds to cover the remaining cost. For years, FBI officials have raised alarms that the decrepit conditions at Hoover constitute serious security concerns.

Built in 1975 in Washington DC, at $126 million, J. Edgar Hoover Building was the most expensive federal building ever erected. While much loved by some architectural critics, the building has also been under intense criticism for its appearance and functionality ever since its construction.

J. Edgar Hoover Building from the street - taken in April 2007.

Some of its most distinctive features like its open courtyard, designed to allow visitors to walk freely into the inner courtyard, and its firing range equipped with a 162-seat auditorium, where visitors can sit and watch agents take shooting practice, have become obsolete over the years. The Stanislaw Gladych and Carter Manny-designed Brutalist icon was going to be demolished and replaced with a mixed-use condo building, but as of now, it's destiny is unclear.

According to the Washington Post, "Further retrofitting is prohibitively expensive; despite the Hoover building’s overall size of 2.4 million gross square feet only 53 perce...

Department of Transportation Secretary threatens to shut down DC Metro

2016-05-10T17:35:00-04:00

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Tuesday he seriously considered ordering a shutdown of the entire Washington Metro subway system last week and may still do that if local officials don't follow Transportation Department safety directives. "We have the ability to withhold (federal) funds from Metro. We have the ability to shut Metro down, and we're not afraid to use the authority we have," Foxx said told reporters. "This is serious business."

"Local officials have yet to identify the root cause of incidents involving electrical arcing, smoke and fire, and so have no plan for how to fix the problem, he said."

For more on the dilapidated state of American infrastructure:

What architecture means to Zena Howard, project leader of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

2016-04-14T19:14:00-04:00

"And to me, as an African American, just realizing that this has actually come to be, that there's an actual National Museum for African American History and Culture on the Mall of Washington, D.C., and this museum should have happened years and years ago, but the realization that finally in America we're at a place where we can accept it ... It's one of the most prominent sites on the Mall. It's not somewhere tucked away.

Architect Zena Howard talks about what first drew her to architecture, the National Museum for African American History and Culture on which she worked as Senior Project Manager, and her outlook on the status of women in architecture.

25-year-old architect wins WWI Centennial Memorial competition in D.C.

2016-01-26T18:28:00-05:00

As the cityscape of Washington D.C. continues to evolve, another project is in the works at the National World War One Memorial at Pershing Park. Today, the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission announced that 25-year-old architect Joseph Weishaar of Brininstool+Lynch and New York veteran sculptor Sabin Howard won the Centennial Memorial design competition with their proposal, "The Weight of Sacrifice". Not a bad start for Weishaar's professional career, no?

Here's a glimpse of the winning proposal:

More about the project on Bustler.

D.C. Exhibit Explores Disaster-oriented Design

2014-12-03T19:17:00-05:00

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires — no part of the United States is immune to natural disasters. While no one can prevent these hazards, people can prepare for them. “Designing for Disaster” at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., showcases how scientists, engineers and government officials work together to guard the country’s infrastructure against Mother Nature’s fury.

For Archinect coverage of related design work, check out these links:

Rescuing Washington's Skyline

2014-10-20T17:10:00-04:00

Clinging to antiquated urban notions, the District’s building height regulations imagine a skyline filled with spires, domes and minarets.

The debate over the Capital's skyline should not pit preservationists against contemporary designers. In fact, regulations that take advantage of the rooftop space would contribute to the monumental character of the city.

Geniuses, money and monuments: Weekly News Round-Up for September 15, 2014

2014-09-22T20:47:00-04:00

Saturday, September 20

NYC's historic 190 Bowery part of massive buy-up by developer RFR Holdings: RFR plans to spend upwards of $900M on property and land purchases by the end of 2014. One of its recent buys included the former "72-room bohemian dream house" at 190 Bowery.

Friday, September 19

MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe Reclaims Urban Neighborhoods Through Art: Lowe is currently a resident at Philadelphia's Pearl Street Project, which aims at making dimly-lit alleyways more safe. He is also the founder of Houston's Project Row Houses.
Zaha Hadid launches luxury homeware range with Harrods: Pieces include a £9,999 serving platter, £43 cups and saucers, and £4,860 Field of Towers chess set.
Archinect is at the Salk Institute, covering the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture Conference: The three-day conference focused on topics in neuroscientific research that serve the architecture profession, including advances in mobile brain-computing interfaces and the neurological data behind...

Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson chosen to redesign MLK Library in D.C.

2014-02-18T15:38:00-05:00

Alas! The winning team to renovate the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library has been selected. That team would be Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson, who won over notable finalists Patkau + Ayers Saint Gross and STUDIOS + Freelon. Upon contract approval, Mecanoo and Martinez + Johnson will begin working with library staff and consultants to finalize the new library's design scheme.

Find out more on Bustler.

Phase 1 of The Wharf Underway in DC; Perkins Eastman Leads as Master Planner

2013-01-21T15:31:00-05:00

Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, the master developer of the 3.2 million square foot Southwest Waterfront project (“The Wharf”), announced today the approval of its Phase 1 Planned Unit Development (PUD) by the District of Columbia Zoning Commission. The Zoning Commission’s action approves all of the architectural designs and specific plans for each parcel of the project’s first phase encompassing 1.5 million square feet of residential, hotel, office and retail uses along with three piers, numerous open spaces, gathering places and a 3-acre waterfront park.

“The unanimous approval last night by the commissioners participating in the hearings is exhilarating. It creates momentum for ground breaking later this year,” said Monty Hoffman, Managing Member of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront. “After more than six years of planning and substantial investment, we are preparing to launch one of the highest profile redevelopments in the country. We are ready to put shovels in the ground for this $...

National Mall Design Competition Selects the Three Winning Teams

2012-05-03T19:28:00-04:00

Today the Trust for the National Mall announced the three winning teams of the National Mall Design Competition. [...] The competition winners are: Union Square: Gustafson Guthrie Nichol + Davis Brody Bond; Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds: OLIN + Weiss/Manfredi; Constitution Gardens: Rogers Marvel Architects + Peter Walker and Partners

Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Opens in Washington

2011-08-26T00:43:15-04:00

We don’t even see his feet. He is embedded in the rock like something not yet fully born, suited and stern, rising from its roughly chiseled surface. His face is uncompromising, determined, his eyes fixed in the distance, not far from where Jefferson stands across the water. But kitsch here strains at the limits of resemblance: Is this the Dr. King of the “I Have a Dream” speech? Or the writer of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech?

One less free museum: Building Museum to begin charging admission

2011-06-15T14:59:06-04:00

It’s difficult in this town to compete with the quality and price of the Smithsonian. DC is uniquely blessed with such incredible public museums that private museums often have to compete, and while they often do it incredibly well, it’s tough to see one move from a free model to one supported by admission fees. The National Building Museum announced today that by the end of the month they will be charging an $8 fee for adults, and a $5 fee for children, students, and seniors.