Letter
Dear Mr. Fisher:
In its public meeting of 16 July, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a revised concept design submission for a new White House visitor screening facility, whose entrance pavilion is now proposed to be located on the west side of Sherman Park, along East Executive Avenue, NW. The Commission approved the revised concept with the following comments and delegated the final review to the staff.
The Commission members endorsed the new location of the entrance pavilion, which is now proposed to be above-grade and approached through the park itself, since the previously approved below-grade location on the park’s south side is not feasible due to the constraints of existing underground infrastructure. They expressed overall support for the architectural character of the new pavilion, which would feature a decastyle portico of square Corinthian columns set on a central block flanked by two subordinate wings. However, they suggested several refinements for the development of the final design. For the overall building cladding, they advised using smaller-sized masonry blocks set in a running bond, instead of the stacked bond in larger pieces as shown. Within the portico, they recommended adding architraves to the entrance doors to give them an elevated architectural presence. For the wings, they recommended widening the corner piers to give them a more substantial appearance, as well as extending the inner piers to meet the central portico in order to better frame the entrance. In addition, they found that the blank end walls of the wings would be inappropriate for the setting, and they therefore suggested adding windows to articulate the facades and to provide daylight for the interior grand stair that would lead to the below-grade screening area.
Regarding the revised design of the exit pavilion, the Commission members found the revised fenestration design of oversized single-pane plate-glass windows to be inconsistent with the approved concept and with the principles of Classical architecture; they therefore advised reverting to the previous proposal for traditional divided-light windows, whose proportions and character would be compatible with the historic White House and the proposed ballroom.
For the development and documentation of the final design, they requested elevation drawings and renderings of all four sides of the entrance pavilion. They suggested the installation of flags on either side of the entrance portico, and they also suggested restoring the General Sherman statue to its original appearance, including returning any missing sculptural elements.
The Commission looks forward to the expeditious completion of this important project which will serve as part of the White House complex. Please consult on the development of the design and the delegated final review with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
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: Andrew Stohs, U.S. Secret Service
Jeff Harner, AECOM
John Stanwich, National Park Service
Marcel Acosta, National Capital Planning Commission
David Maloney, D.C. Historic Preservation Office