Page 75 - Winter_2020

Rooftop before conversion.

Project: Union Market Rooftop Stadium
1309 5th Street, NE, Washington, DC

Architects: BELL Architects
Structural Engineers: Tadjer-Cohen-Edelson
MEP Engineers: Dwyer
General Contractor: Forrester Construction

Drone photo of the converted rooftop. Photo © Hover Solutions

Union Market Rooftop Stadium
A tennis match on the roof
In January 2019, EDENS, the firm behind the redevelopment of the of the Union Market building.
Union Market District, asked BELL Architects to help realize a bold idea:
building a temporary tennis stadium on the roof of the main Union
Market building to accommodate an annual tournament hosted by
DC’s professional tennis team, the Washington Kastles. The catch? The
tournament was scheduled for that July—just six months off.
The tight timeframe wasn’t the only challenge. EDENS envisioned
the revamped rooftop as a permanent but flexible amenity space for
residents of the burgeoning neighborhood and other patrons. Therefore,
the design would have to allow for varied uses and configurations,
including easy demounting and reinstallation of the tennis stadium to
accommodate the Kastles’ seasonal playing schedules.
Fortunately, the existing structure was relatively robust, so the
roughly 20,000-square-foot rooftop addition did not require significant
structural enhancements—just some lateral bracing at the tops of the
columns. A lightweight concrete slab serves as an even platform for the
roofscape and the playing surface for tennis matches. When the stadium
is removed, wood-plastic-composite decking and synthetic turf can be
placed over the slab to create a more park-like atmosphere. The finished
level of the roof deck thus varies, so the perimeter guardrails were designed Photo © Willis Bretz
to be adjustable in height. Recessed anchors allow for easy installation of
tents up to 50 by 110 feet for weddings or other special events.
Because the roof deck was conceived as a venue for sporting events,
concerts, and other mass gatherings, public accessibility presented yet
another challenge. To handle the crowds, the design team extended
existing staircases to the roof level, and added an elevator in a shaft that
had been constructed in a previous renovation but never fitted out.
The roof deck is currently configured as open space, with
refreshments sold out of a converted shipping container. An additional
container, containing a full kitchen, will be arriving soon, and EDENS The rooftop
expects to have a full-service restaurant operational by the end of the before conversion. Photo © BELL
year. Given ongoing restrictions on indoor dining and gathering during
the pandemic, the project could hardly have been timed better. RECLAIMING THE FIFTH PLANE 73