DC Metrocentric

The CityCenter DC construction site downtown is in full swing with four cranes up and running and a constant stream of trucks coming and going all day long. This great shot frames all the action in one photo and is just striking with all that equipment against a blue sky!

[Photo: srietzke]

The construction of the Arlington Memorial Bridge was apparently authorized by Congress after then President Warren G. Harding was caught in a three-hour traffic jam. Built in 1931 as a connection to Arlington National Cemetery, the neo-classical bridge design included a draw bridge (picture) which has since been sealed shut. You can also see the temporary buildings built on the National Mall during World War I which served as barracks and offices all the way until after World War II.

We just love old timey photos!!! [Photo Credit: NPS]

Apparently the folks at Rockpoint and MRP have big plans in the works for the old YWCA space at 9th and G Streets NW. To realize the plans they hired Gensler Architects who have designed what is becoming the all to ubiquitous glass curtain wall building for the corner location.

What do you think? [Rendering: Gensler]

As you can see, after a full year of construction the 300k sq-ft mixed-use project 14W is almost half way to its eventual full seven story height. Once complete next Fall it will include 231 rental units, 10,000 sq-ft of retail shell space, and an all-new 44,000 sq-ft rebuilt YMCA Center.

Restoration is playing a big role in this project including multiple row homes along 14th street which are being adapted to be incorporated into the new build. Interesting to see how it turns out, we imagine it isn’t going to be that hard to fill up a building with such a great location and proximity to U Street.

[Photo: Rockcreek]

Downtown - CityCenter construction update. [PQLiving]

Georgetown - Last year in Georgetown practically no one got their original asking price for residential home sales. [WPost]

Crystal City - The next Artomatic will be in Arlington! [ARLNow]

Mt Vernon Triangle - The new Vida Fitness in the City Vista (pictured below) plans to open by the end of month. [The Triangle]

Despite what it may look like, there is not a parking garage being built on the National Mall where the East Wing of the Gallery of Art stands, it’s just part of the long ongoing project to give the Gallery a face lift. They are currently replacing the curtain wall structure of marble panels and as you can see, exposing the underlying rather ugly brick and concrete.

Have no fear though, the work will be finished up this year!

[Photo: DCMetrocentric]

Back in 2009 we got our first look at the design for the Lincoln Center for Education and Leadership planned for across the street from Ford’s Theater, and in only a few short years the rendering has become a reality. This building replaced the gift shop that used to be on the site next to the home where Lincoln passed away after he was shot.

True to the design there really isn’t much difference in how the project ended up looking, though from a massing perspective the thin structure does stick out above its shorter neighbors on either side. What do you think?

With construction only having just started last year, the developers of Progression Place in Shaw are already putting the unfinished building on the market. Given the location and size they are looking to get around $130 million for the property which will eventually include offices, 200 units of residential and a significant amount of retail space along 7th st.

Hopefully the sale doesn’t slow down the progress because we can’t wait to see how this project ends up looking, especially the restoration of the facades along 7th St (shown in the rendering above).

Whether or not you had the day off today, hopefully you took some time to think about what this day is all about. “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

[Photo: Wgestalten]

In a town full of monuments we often take for granted the major effort that went into building these massive structures. Many modern advances in construction were not available when some of the most impressive, and grand in scale memorials were built.

The Lincoln Memorial’s architect Henry Bacon and sculptor Daniel Chester French employed hundreds of men and huge systems of pulleys to construct the building with its distinctive architectural acents modeled on a Greek Doric temple.

When you realize the effort it took to build some of these structures it really makes you appreciate their scale.

We bet you didn’t realize that you almost always have little architectural drawings of some of our cities most famous buildings right in your pocket! This incredible shot by Brendon McKeon uses a wide angle lens with a small aperture to take photos of the buildings which inspired the likeness on our currency. 

Pictured fittingly is the treasury building on the $10, you can find the shots of the other buildings and bills on Brendon’s flickr site, but not the $1 bill because the pyramid with the eye obviously isn’t real! [Flickr Photo: Musely]

Columbia Heights - Room 11 announces expansion… will now have room for more than eleven people. [The Heights Life]

Shaw - The embattled Shaw Tavern has new management. [In Shaw]

18th Street - Unfortunately placed Zagat stickers… [PoP]

Chinatown - Yo! Sushi, Walgreens and Panera Bread will assume retail storefronts at the new project on the NE corner of 7th and H NW. [The Triangle]

14th Street - Taylor Gourmet sandwich shop (pictured above) now open… sans mayor (at least the one from the District)! [New Coumbia Heights]

The 66 unit condo development in Shaw at 7th and P Streets has now got the approval it needs to move forward on the initial concept presented to the ANC this week! So of course that means it’s time to take a look at the renderings… at first glance we think the facade composition is fairly interesting but it is all going to come down to what materials they settle on using in the final design.

[Rendering: PGN Architects]

Word out of Georgetown is that the RFP process for the government owned West Heating Plant building (pictured below) is going to be very different than most, since basically the building/property is going to be sold to the highest bidder. The Georgetown Metropolitan was at the ANC meeting and it sounds like the process will get started late next summer with an online ebay style bidding process.

Given the approach, we imagine this is going to end up as a hotel or other commercially profitable venture given the economic factors at play here and preference for getting market value for the property. Thoughts?

[Photo: Mr. T in DC]

In today’s evolving world, how can parks and public spaces like the National Mall thrive while successfully responding to the diverse and often competing array of future needs? The National Capital Planning Commission, the Trust for the National Mall, the City Parks Alliance, and the National Archives plan to host a panel discussion to explore new ways to think about public space featuring a dynamic panel.

[Photo: DPinDC]