Download In GMS Art we will consider how the architect creates intentional

Notes on the Architecture of Washington, D. C.
In GMS Art we will consider how the architect creates intentional space in our Architecture Unit. Capitol
Architects have tremendous responsibility when it comes to creating, maintaining, and up-dating the
Capitol buildings. Review the following information from AOC.gov before the D.C. trip to help build your
prior knowledge of what you will be seeing.
Columns we will see:
Materials used:
Marble is used throughout the U.S. Capitol Building, the congressional office buildings, and many other
government and commercial buildings for its beauty, durability and relative ease of carving. It forms exterior
surfaces and such interior elements as floors, walls, columns and stairways. Marble is also commonly used for
statues and other sculpture, both indoors and out.
The term marble is applied to many varieties of stone that have been used in architecture and sculpture since
classical times. Marble is formed by metamorphosis, which occurs when rock containing the mineral calcite (most
commonly limestone) near the Earth’s surface are drawn downward by geological processes and are recrystallized
by heat, pressure, and chemical action. The color of the resulting marble is determined by the amount and type of
impurities it contains: the purest white marble shows the fewest, while other varieties may be pink, gray, green,
yellow or black. Veining or banding in different colors often occurs.
The founders of the American nation drew architectural and aesthetic inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman
civilizations, and the builders of the U.S. Capitol would readily have used marble if it were available. However, no
nearby deposits had been discovered when construction began, so sandstone was used for the exterior cladding
and for carved decorative features throughout. By 1816, however, marble was being quarried along the upper
Potomac River and imported from Italy, and over the succeeding decades further discoveries and improvements in
transportation allowed its far more extensive use throughout the building. Nearly a dozen states have provided
marble to help build the Capitol Building; it is used in floors, baseboards, stairs, railings, door frames, wall panels,
mantels, columns and cornices. Marble from Massachusetts forms the exteriors of the mid-19th century House
and Senate extensions, and Georgia marble clads the East Front connecting corridors. Italian marble is used in the
grand staircases and the Senate chamber. Many of the statues in the U.S. Capitol are also carved from the fine,
white marble quarried near Carrara, Italy, which has been favored by sculptors for centuries. Elsewhere within
Capitol Hill, all of the principal congressional office buildings are faced with marble, as are the Library of
Congress John Adams and James Madison Memorial Buildings, and marble floors, stairways, walls, columns and
sculpture enrich many interior spaces. [Notes on Marble taken from Architects of the Capitol Web Site: http://www.aoc.gov/capitolhill/architecture/marble ]
Art Deco
Art Deco is a style of art and architecture that began in 1920s Paris and continued into the 1930s. Art Deco was
inspired by Egyptian and Aztec forms and was characterized by the use of highly stylized geometric forms.
While not a predominant architecture or art style of Capitol Hill, Art Deco is most evident in the architecture and
design of the Library of Congress John Adams Building and in decorative elements of the Dirksen Senate Office
Building.
The Library of Congress John Adams Building, completed in 1939, is an example of detailed but restrained Art Deco
design. The exterior is covered by white Georgia marble and then enlivened with a limited amount of carved
decoration. Decorative features and metalwork throughout the building are superb examples of Art Deco’s
streamlined classicism and decorative cubism.
The Dirksen Senate Office Building was built in the 1950s and in order to keep costs low was built of simple design.
To add interest to the simple design, the architects added a series of 51 exterior bronze reliefs, square panels with
raised designs, between the windows. These reliefs include five subjects: shipping, farming, manufacturing, mining
and lumbering. Each is represented by a stylized figure. Additional bronze medallions with symbolic icons can be
found on the Dirksen Building's bronze exterior and elevator doors. [http://www.aoc.gov/capitolhill/architecture/art-deco-architecture-capitol-hill ]
Beaux Arts
Beaux Arts architecture style is a theatrical and heavily ornamented classical style taught during the 19th
century at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This style strongly considers the function of the space. The Library of
Congress Thomas Jefferson Building is a textbook example of the flamboyant Beaux Arts style. In addition, the first
congressional office buildings – the Russell Senate Office Building and Cannon House Office Building — were
designed in the Beaux Arts style by the prominent New York architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings.
In April 1904, John Carrère took charge of the Senate Office Building project (now named the Russell Senate Office
Building), while Thomas Hastings oversaw the construction of an almost identical office building (now named
the Cannon House Office Building) for the House of Representatives. Their Beaux Arts designs harmonize with
the U.S. Capitol.
Architecturally, the buildings’ elevations are divided into a rusticated base and a colonnade with an entablature
and balustrade. The colonnades with 34 Doric columns that face the Capitol are echoed by pilasters on the sides of
the buildings. Both buildings are faced with marble; the Russell Building's base and terrace are gray granite.
The Caucus Room in the Russell Building is an excellent example of the Beaux Arts architecture style of
architectural design. Grand, well ordered and richly detailed, the room provides a dignified environment in which
important political meetings and social functions are held. It is the oldest and one of the largest assembly rooms
built for the Senate outside the Capitol.
The Beaux Arts architecture style is also particularly apparent in the Cannon Building Caucus Room. The room lies
at the end of a progression of monumental spaces, which begin with the rotunda and continue in the marble
staircases that land directly in front of the principal entrance to the Caucus Room. Through this architectural
hierarchy, one is led from the building's "front door" directly and powerfully to the Caucus Room. Measuring 74
feet long by 54 feet wide, the room is treated with paired Corinthian pilasters standing on a continuous pedestal
and supporting a richly detailed entablature including dentils, modillions and egg-and-dart moldings. The rich
ceiling is decorated with a variety of classical motifs: rosettes, guilloch and Greek key. This room is the site of
numerous dinners, receptions and other events each year; unlike its counterpart in the Russell Senate Office
Building, this room hosts no prominent public hearings.
The Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building is recognized as a premier example of the Beaux Arts style,
which is theatrical and heavily ornamented. It is a style perfectly suited to a young, wealthy and imperialistic
nation in its Gilded Age. The materials – marble (15 varieties), granite (400,000 cubic feet), bronze, gold, mahogany
– were expensive but would last a thousand years. [http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/architecture-styles/beauxarts-architecture-capitol-hill]
Contemporary
Contemporary architecture is often defined as the architecture of the current time. The defining aspects of late
20th century to early 21st century architecture are steel beam construction, extensive use of glass and minimal
decoration. On Capitol Hill, the most predominate architectural influence of the early 21st century is sustainable
design. This philosophy is design that limits the impact on the environment while maximizing energy efficiency and
other natural resource usage.
On Capitol Hill, the Architect of the Capitol has embraced the principles of sustainable design in the ongoing
planning, building, operations and maintenance of the facilities and grounds entrusted to our care. These practices
include improving energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, improved indoor
environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
The most recent significant architectural addition to Capitol Hill is the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), which opened in
December 2008. The CVC included a number of sustainable design elements in its architecture and construction.
The Capitol Visitor Center was designed to incorporate as many sustainable and low-impact features as possible
within the constraints of its unique requirements. The Visitor Center was built below an existing plaza, and is a
“redevelopment” of an urban site which has not increased the amount of hard surfaces relative to run-off. The
East Capitol Grounds are greener now that landscaping is completed with a total of 85 new trees planted (more
than were removed for construction) to revive the scenic views envisioned in Frederick Law Olmsted’s original
landscape plan of 1874.
Additionally state-of-the-art high-efficiency fans and motors were used for mechanical systems and use outside air
for cooling in place of chilled water when the outdoor temperature is 60 degrees and below. Light fixture
occupancy sensors have been installed throughout office spaces and restrooms and compact fluorescent fixtures
are used wherever possible.
Other features include low-flow bathroom fixtures and automatic faucets and toilets; low-emitting materials
including paints, solvents and carpets used during construction; recycling of 50 percent of construction waste; and
six skylights allow natural light to fill many public areas, thereby decreasing the need for electric lighting during
daytime hours.
In upcoming architectural projects the AOC will continue to adopt national best practices in design and
construction such as those developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. [http://www.aoc.gov/capitolhill/architecture/contemporary-architecture-capitol-hill]
Neoclassical
The definitive architectural style on Capitol Hill is neoclassical, inspired by the use of ancient Greek and Roman
styles in the design of great public buildings. These styles are recognized by the use of tall columns, symmetrical
shapes, triangular pediments and domed roofs.
Neoclassical architecture style encompasses the styles of Federal and Greek Revival architecture which were a
major influence during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was during this period that many of the
foundational buildings of the United States government were constructed.
Perhaps the single greatest example of these architectural styles is the United States Capitol Building, for which
construction began in 1793. Thomas Jefferson wanted Congress housed in a replica of an ancient Roman temple.
Since the capitol in Richmond, Virginia, was an example of Roman “cubic” architecture, he thought the federal
Capitol should be modeled after a “spherical” temple.
The U.S. Capitol's designs, derived from ancient Greece and Rome, evoke the ideals that guided the nation's
founders as they framed their new republic. In the 1850s, architect Thomas U. Walter added to the original design
while maintaining the neoclassical styles. His additions included the north and south extensions and the cast iron
dome.
Another well-known example of the neoclassical architecture style on Capitol Hill is the U.S. Supreme Court
Building. Finished and occupied in 1935, the Supreme Court is meant to resemble a great marble temple. The
architect of the Supreme Court, Cass Gilbert of New York City, drew upon the classical Roman temple form as the
basis for the Court's new building. Reached by a great flight of broad steps, the portico of tall Corinthian columns
gives the building a monumental entrance. Lower wings flank the central temple and help relate it to the lowerscaled buildings of the nearby Capitol Hill neighborhood. [http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/architecturestyles/neoclassical-architecture-capitol-hill]