Letter
Dear Mr. Fisher:
In its meeting of 16 April, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept design proposal for alterations to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), occupied by the Executive Office of the President and located adjacent to the White House at 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The Commission approved the concept, conditional upon the specification and successful technical testing of the proposed exterior paint, and provided the following comments for the development of the design.
In their discussion, the Commission members expressed strong support for the intention to beautify the French Second Empire-style EEOB—a National Historic Landmark constructed in the late 19th century to house the State, War, and Navy Departments—commenting that the massive gray granite building would benefit from exterior revitalization. As such, they endorsed option #2 to paint all of the building’s granite exterior white, which they said would enhance its appearance and unify the White House complex, from 17th Street to the proposed new ballroom at East Executive Avenue. However, based on the technical information provided by historic preservation and building conservation experts, they advised that further testing of the painting process should be undertaken to avoid permanent damage to the granite, and they requested that the experts raising concerns about the proposal be invited to participate in this evaluation. If the painting of the stone is determined to be technically infeasible, they recommended cleaning and repointing the stone; they also expressed support for the general use of illumination to highlight the building’s presence and detailing.
The Commission looks forward to further review of this important proposal to enhance the White House complex. As always, the staff is available to assist you with the next submission.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Joshua Fisher, Assistant to the President
Director, Office of Management and Administration
Executive Office of the President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
cc: Ed Forst, General Services Administration