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Apartment interior at Liz. Photo © Nicholas Venezia

Successful nonprofits must be sophisticated and agile
as they build the financial resources necessary to
sustain their missions. When Washington’s renowned
Whitman-Walker Health organization, which primarily
serves the LGBTQ community, moved its medical
center to larger quarters in the neighborhood a couple
of years ago, it freed up for redevelopment the block- Lobby. Photo © Nicholas Venezia
long property that it owns along 14th Street. The
mixed-use project of retail, commercial, residential, and units; 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and
cultural spaces presented an opportunity for Whitman- restaurants; as well as a cultural center.
Walker Health to ensure the long-term funding and When viewed from 14th Street, the completed
growth it needed for its future. project appears to be two new twin structures flanking
Dubbed “Liz” in tribute to AIDS activist and the midblock renovated garage building, but these are
actress Elizabeth Taylor, the project retains two historic actually projecting sections of one large building that
buildings constructed in the first decade of the 20th fills the whole block. The new construction is clearly
century. The corner structure at 14th and R streets had distinguishable from the two historic structures.
housed a flower shop years ago before later becoming The design team restored the corner building to the
Photo © the entrance and waiting room for the former appearance it had when it was a flower shop, re-
David Madison
Whitman-Walker Clinic. Midblock, the preserved creating projecting windows for greater transparency
Belmont Garage was at one time a fixture in this area and a more welcoming street presence. This building,
of the city once known for its many car dealerships and now named The Corner at Whitman-Walker, has been
sometimes referred to as “auto row.” transformed into a cultural space designed to bring
The building’s design is a collaborative effort diverse communities together.
of Selldorf Architects, a New York-based firm, and The clean-lined limestone façade of the new
Washington’s CORE architecture + design. The goal structure features large windows, each framed with an
was to meld historic preservation and new construction angled glazed terra cotta surround—bringing together
to achieve a single interconnected structure that is both two materials often used in older Washington construction.
compatible with its neighborhood and a distinctive The window surrounds employ colorful rainbow hues
addition to it. While maximizing evoking the iconic gay pride flag. The tiles are also a
the amount of new construction permitted on the site, playful, animating flourish on the streetscape.
the design does not overwhelm the preserved historic The outdoor space around the building features
structures. The completed project comprises 60,000 ample plantings, seating, public art, and expanded
square feet of office space including the administrative pedestrian space. In its design, street presence,
offices of Whitman-Walker Health and those of its and acknowledgement of what preceded it, Liz is
project partner, Fivesquares Development; 78 rental a welcoming—and welcomed—addition to
apartments, some of which are designated as affordable the neighborhood.

HOMAGE TO A COMPASSIONATE STAR 43