Case Study
MATERIAL INVESTIGATIONS: 601 Massachusetts Avenue
The site of 601 Massachusetts Avenue, a triangular block created as part of Washington, D.C.’s foundational 1792 L’Enfant Plan, became the source and inspiration for the integration of art into architecture. The constraints of the wedge-shaped city block generated signature overlapping ‘L’ configurations in plan, which naturally defined a triangular atrium lobby carved into the building’s core.
A portion of the lobby is 22 feet tall, and another portion rises 10 stories. Unifying these two spaces into one architectural statement became a significant challenge: Roman Renna travertine provided the solution. The distinctive, horizontal sedimentary lines of the Renna unify the lobby to reach the eastern wall, where the stone comes to life as a three-dimensional undulating curtain.
Creating the installation’s sense of folding, bending and pleating in the stone’s horizontal patterning required the use of a single bench in the marble quarry in Italy. A digital model was sent to Italy, where a computerized manufacturing process using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines was used to carve the travertine in a single bench of the quarry. This approach allowed the striations to continue around all sides of the lobby space like a striped fabric pattern. As the sunlight dances around these folds, the stone appears soft and supple like fabric. The stone installation serves as a local landmark while orienting visitors entering and leaving the building’s spacious lobby.
The nexus between the two atrium heights is marked by a 20-foot tall, freestanding, white marble sculpture by Giovanni Balderi. The sculpture’s placement encourages people to circulate the installation, allowing the art to be viewed from all sides.
