Page 35 - Winter_2018

ArchDC Winter 2018.qxp_Winter 2018 11/27/18 9:36 AM Page 33

All photos © Prakash Patel Façade with glass fins.

such that the façade essentially cannot be viewed face-on. most clearly from the most oblique angles, as the awards
Views would always be oblique and, because of the jury noted. Careful detailing allows for very minimal metal
immediately adjacent buildings at each side, there would connectors and sealant joints, creating a façade in which
be no opportunity for the façade to turn a corner. The use the vertical and horizontal modules largely dissipate into
of bay windows projecting into public space, which a diaphanous field of glass. The façade as a whole
would add depth, is limited to residential buildings by becomes, in the words of the architects, “a work of public
DC law, and given office users’ current preference for as art that engages viewers and enlivens the street.”
much glass as possible, adding visual interest through The gentle zig-zag of the fins introduces a leitmotif
varied materials would be difficult. found elsewhere in the building, notably in the lobby
A flat glass front—so common nowadays—might ceiling and in pergola elements at the common amenity
have seemed inevitable, but Gensler broke the expected roof deck. The alley side of the building, unlike the
plane by adding fins to the curtain wall. The fins’ profiles Pennsylvania Avenue frontage, jogs several times to
vary, creating a pattern that shifts and draws the eye as one maximize window wall and create more opportunities
passes the building. Perfect for the site, it actually reads for corner offices.

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