20 Massachusetts Ave Restitching the urban fabric of Capitol Hill

Developer The RMR Group challenged LEO A DALY to reimagine 20 Massachusetts Ave NW, a former federal office building, as a vibrant mixed-use development. Located four blocks from the U.S. Capitol and directly adjacent to regional transit hub Union Station, the adaptive-reuse project aims to re-stitch the building into an evolving urban context and create a vital new social and cultural hub for the neighborhood.

Pierre L’Enfant’s historic Master Plan for the District of Columbia. 20 Massachusetts Ave NW site in pink.

The building occupies a signature site in Pierre L’Enfant’s 1791 Master Plan for the District of Columbia. Commissioned by George Washington, the L'Enfant Plan is based on a grid of vertical and horizontal streets, punctured by diagonal avenues and connected via traffic circles. Visual connections to the U.S. Capitol and two key Senate office buildings make the view corridor termination at 20 Massachusetts Ave NW a critical element of the city’s experiential identity.

Renovation History

LEO A DALY’s relationship to 20 Massachusetts Ave NW goes back to the 1980s, when we renovated the original 1970-built structure to attract a new government tenant. Originally opaque and dominating, the renovation replaced precast concrete panels on the first two floors with a new metal and glass wall system, adding light and the perception of height to the base of the building. On the building’s east endpoint, a new curtain wall system was installed from grade level to the roof, renewing the building’s presence in the view corridor that L’Enfant established and providing a visual termination from Union Station.

The current project strips the building down to its structure, adds a new curtainwall, steel and terra-cotta skin and increases its height by three stories. A new interior space program will transform the former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building into a mixed-use destination, including a 274-key Royal Sonesta Hotel, 184,000 square feet of Class A office space and 14,000 square feet of retail.

Initial Massing and Exterior Expression Studies

Initial studies explored how both the massing and openness of the building facade could become part of the urban fabric. The tip of the building is the first impression of the city from Union Station. These studies also explore options for expressing the program needs relative to energy performance outcomes. The southwest facade reflects individual hotel rooms and requires more shading, while the east side is more open.

Intermediate Massing Studies

With a scheme and approach selected by the client, we honed in on the sculptural expression of approaches for visual termination along Massachusetts Avenue. Each sculptural element was derivative of context, folding what the eye sees from a distance and continuing that geometry down to eye level as the viewer approaches. The building is of its place and time, and conveys its function.

Mature Massing Studies

At the main entrance, a "red carpet" architectural feature comes from above and folds at the bottom to become an inviting porte-cochere. At the tip, the building's trapezoidal form is folded and wrapped at the corner by a shading device. The floating definition of the building top completes a contemporary rendition of the tripartite top/middle/base stacking common along the classical core of Washington, D.C.

Final Exterior Expression

The base façade highlights two stories of retail, with a high level of transparency along Massachusetts Ave. transitioning to a single-story expression along F Street.

The middle section of the façade employs more pronounced detail, with terracotta and metal fins creating a contextually nuanced and scale appropriate articulation.

The massing is crowned by a lighter, more streamlined and sculptural top that provides a fitting view corridor termination from the U.S. Capitol Building.

The Ground Floor

An engaging streetscape redesign and ground-floor retail program will transform the building’s visual and experiential relationship to the Massachusetts Avenue corridor and surrounding streets. The base façade highlights two stories of retail. A sequence of curated experiences along the building perimeter offers visually seamless indoor/outdoor connection, creating clear points of arrival for visitors and first-time guests.

Office Lobby

Through-connection for pedestrians between Massachusetts Ave and F Street via the office lobby corrects a fault of the original building, which cut off pedestrian connections between adjacent streets. This feature gives back to the city what was taken away and brings the building in line with the principles of the L'Enfant Plan.

Hotel Lobby

A continuation of the office lobby, the hotel lobby showcases the shared common space between the two building uses - hotel and office. Common zones flow into one another, creating a new part of the city where guests and natives comingle. The hotel lobby shares aesthetic elements with the office lobby, creating one aesthetically and functionally cohesive environment.

Atrium

Towering over the nine-story atrium, a monumental artwork made of perforated steel depicts a slice of the L'Enfant grid. This gives interior expression to the urban logic of the architecture, connecting 20 Massachusetts Ave to its history and purpose in the city plan.

Streetscape Design

The now-barren streetscape along Massachusetts Ave will be transformed with retail, restaurants and landscaping, creating an interactive hub for neighborhood activity. An enlarged sidewalk will be enhanced with planting and activity zones. Through-connectivity between Massachusetts Ave. and F Street will integrate the building seamlessly into the urban flow of the neighborhood.

Rooftop Amenities

The building will be increased in height by three stories and capped with a rooftop penthouse that features a conference center, ballroom and executive suite with a green roof and 360-degree views of the city.

Guest Rooms

Guest rooms feature a navy and neutral palette that focuses on creating a relaxing environment for guests. Clean lines and sophisticated finishes continue the contemporary and modern feel started in the public areas.

Prefabricated bathrooms in each guestroom take advantage of economies of scale to accelerate the construction schedule, increase job site safety and reduce the project’s carbon footprint, all while maintaining excellent quality.

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