Under construction since the summer of 2009,
work is winding down on National Public Radio's new home in NoMa.
Three years may seem a long time for a mid-sized office building, but
developer Boston Properties first had to abate the toxic substances from
the 83-year-old Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Companies Warehouse
before they could begin building on top. Initial work was secretive, as NPR refused requests to release initial plans or renderings of the project, which bears an unfortunate resemblance to the FBI headquarters downtown. Hickok Cole Architects designed the addition to the historic warehouse, which is providentially set back from the historic structure.
Washington D.C. real estate development news. Photos courtesy Rey Lopez
9 comments:
Ken, Can you explain what resemblance this project has to the Hoover FBI Building. I'm not seeing much that connects the two. Given that any reference to the FBI is considered a pejorative by most, this comment is very puzzling.
The FBI comment is definitely weird. Yes, there's a projecting element at the top of the NPR addition, but it seems pretty light and glassy in contrast to the heavy projection on the FBI building, and it's limited to one part of the building, while the FBI's projecting upper floors basically surround the building.
Having just recently driven past the new NPR headquarters the initial reaction to seeing it was "My Gosh, Its a glass version of the FBI Building! What were they thinking?"
Perhaps it was meant to be a playful take on the secretive FBI versus the openess of NPR.
We can only hope that in 40+ years everyone won't be waiting for the demise of the NPR building with as much ferver as they do for the replacement of the FBI Building on Penn Ave.
Shame the new doesn't relate better to the old at the new NPR site. It's an elegant little industrial building.
Any idea when this building will be complete and ready for NPR to move in?
So every building where the top couple or three floors are massed as a projecting element is a version of the FBI building. Wow. DCMud, you have a lot of educating to do, of both yourselves and the public.
Considering the warehouse facade NPR had to work with, this building looks great.
It definatly looks like the FBI building. How many builings can you name where the top 2-3 floors are massed as a projecting element? Right, thus the FBI comment. And to say this projection is light and airy makes it seem like the whole box isn't wrapped in a thick slab of concrete (faux of course).
The warehouse part is the most attractive part of the whole pile. Proof that even a formulaic art deco concrete warehouse has more grace than this preening design.
WHAT? How does this resemble FBI building AT ALL???
agreed with the fbi resemblance, and nominating this for the, "least likely to age well" award. If you are even on the fence about this now, just wait until 15-25 years from now. Awful.
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