Page 28 - ArchDC_Winter2017
P. 28
ArchDC Winter 2017.qxp_Fall 2017 11/17/17 5:48 PM Page 26
The restored Warne Ballroom at the Cosmos Club. Photo © Benson Photography
Merit Award in Historic Resources/Preservation At the turn of the 20th century, American industrialists flush with
cash were eager to leave their mark in the capital. They hired
Cosmos Club—Warne Ballroom imported European architects and craftsmen to build (and rebuild)
Washington, DC showy mansions in the prevailing French style. Over the course of
that century, these temples of wealth were converted for use as
John Milner Associates museums, offices, and private clubs.
Preservation, One of the finest of these is the Townsend House, renovated
around 1900 by architects Carrère and Hastings and interior
a division of MTFA Architecture, PLLC designers Jules Allard et Fils. The Cosmos Club moved into the
Finishing Specialists: John Canning Studios building in 1952, and established the nonprofit Cosmos Club
MEP Engineers: Loring Consulting Engineers Historic Preservation Foundation in 1986 to protect the building’s
Lighting Designers: Lighting Design Collaborative legacy and help fund critical repairs and upgrades.
Acoustical Consultants: Polysonics Corporation The club and foundation selected John Milner Associates
Painting Conservation: Page Conservation Preservation (JMA) to develop a master plan for restoring the
Chandelier Restoration and Fabrication: Mathieu Lustrerie Warne Ballroom, a richly ornamented Louis XV-style space that
Gilding: Gold Leaf Studios hosts weddings, concerts, and banquets. The space was shadowed
General Contractor: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company by years of accumulated varnishes and grime, misguided repair
attempts, and ongoing moisture problems. JMA Preservation
mobilized an army of specialists to evaluate the room’s gilding,
26 REGILDED AGE
