TALL DC
The building reflects the concept of seeing the city through an ‘aperture.’ TALL DC, parametrically responds to the surrounding environment, emphasizing important landmarks by developing spatial relationships that alter its cylindrical shape. The location of each space depends on the distance of the relating landmark. As a landmark moves farther away, the relationship moves higher up the tower. The emphasized landmarks are the White House, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the National Shrine.
Since enacted by Congress, the Height of Buildings Act of 1910 has restricted how tall buildings can be designed in the District of Columbia. TALL DC analyzes Washington’s most recognizable structures including the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, and questions the definition of “monument” in the contemporary context of global commercial markets, residential migration, and iconic skylines. With the exercise ignoring the height act, TALL DC reacts to the monumental environment of DC by creating new unique spaces inside the tower activated based on distances and associations.
top view
event space - capitol aperture
residential space - monument aperture
middle view
site plan Department of Commerce between 14th &15th street NW location// LEVEL 98 1,267’-00”
LEVEL 98 - TOP OBSERVATION LEVEL
MECHANICAL & OBSERVATORY
RESTAURANT & LOUNGE HOTEL
LEVEL 94 1,200’ -00” LEVEL 92 1,139 ‘-02” LEVEL 91 1,124’ -07”
7 FLOORS OF LUXURY STYLE ROOMS & SUITES THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPECTACULAR VANTAGE POINTS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
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092 HOTEL LOBBY & CONFERENCE RESIDENCES
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LEVEL 83 1,036’ -07”
HIGH-END RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS THAT PROVIDE UNHAMPERED VIEWS ACROSS THE CITY.
EACH OF THE UNIT VIEWS ARE ORIENTED TO EITHER THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, THE WHITE HOUSE, THE CAPITOL, AND THE BASILICA.
LEVEL 81 - TYPICAL HOTEL UNITS 084
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LEVEL 75 952’-07” MECHANICAL & STRUCTURAL TRANSFER
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LEVEL 73 931’-07”
LEVEL 61 - RESIDENTIAL APARTMENT UNITS
LEVEL 59 795’-01”
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036 LEVEL 44 627’-01” MECHANICAL & STRUCTURAL TRANSFER
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COMMERCIAL
LEVEL 42 597’-11”
RENTABLE OPEN FLOOR PLAN THAT AVERAGES 23,000 SF.
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022 LEVEL 37 539’-07”
LEVEL 34 - TYPICAL COMMERCIAL EVENT SPACE 021
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LEVEL 27 - TYPICAL COMMERCIAL FLOOR
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LEVEL 29 422’-11” MECHANICAL & STRUCTURAL TRANSFER LEVEL 27 393’-09”
LEVEL 20 306’-03”
LEVEL 16 - PUBLIC EVEN T SPACE
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MECHANICAL & STRUCTURAL TRANSFER
PROMENADE RETAIL
LEVEL 10 131’-03” LEVEL 8 102’-01”