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pointing in the direction of the circle’s focal point, a Photo © Christopher Barrett
statue of General Winfield Scott. Meanwhile, the wide, Photo © Christopher Barrett
mostly opaque pier to the right of the entrance, while
providing a compositional anchor for the façade, also
creates a visual dialogue with the blank white wall of the
1950s-era Human Rights Campaign building next door.

The angles that animate the façade continue into the
main interior spaces. In the lobby, trapezoidal marble
floor slabs subtly direct visitors toward the reception
desk and the ground-floor event spaces beyond, while a
polygonal atrium and angled staircase connect the con-
ference facilities on the lowest three levels. The copious
use of white marble helps to reflect daylight entering
through the roughly north-facing façade deep into these
spaces. On the uppermost levels, another, smaller atrium
brings light to internal offices and helps to define a
gathering area called the Commons, where staff members
may hold informal meetings and young interns have the
opportunity to interact with more established scholars.

The project presented the architects with several
technical challenges. Soon after excavation began, for
example, it was discovered that what appeared to be
typical urban soil was in fact riddled with the remnants
of the building that previously occupied the site, which
had apparently partially collapsed into its foundations.
Substantial remedial work was required before work on
the new building could begin. Perhaps the greatest
engineering challenge was posed by the long, narrow
bar forming the top of the front façade’s masonry frame.
Concrete could not span that distance efficiently, so the
band was constructed out of steel, and thin slabs of marble
were hung from that armature. The steel structure had
to be built with a camber—a slight arch—so that, as the
heavy stone slabs were attached, the structure would
gradually settle into a perfectly horizontal position.

The CSIS headquarters was built at a cost of approxi-
mately $366 per square foot, not including land acquisition,
furnishings, or soft costs such as professional fees. Given
the building’s luxurious materials and striking geometries,
that is a remarkably modest budget. The relatively low
cost was possible in part because the building has only
one street-facing façade—the side and rear façades are
made of cheaper materials and use much less glass.
Hickok suggested that CSIS itself also deserved some of
the credit: “It was a very high-powered group, which
could have led to a dysfunctional process, but it didn’t.
They made decisions and stuck with them.”

For an organization dedicated to solving some of the
world’s most daunting problems, perhaps the task of
building its own headquarters was a relatively simple one.
Nonetheless, in the case of the CSIS headquarters, the
elegant, cost-effective result should serve as a reassuring
example to architects and clients alike.

Above: Main atrium.
Below: The Commons.

32 WINDOW ON THE WORLD