Letter
Dear Reverend Clark:
In its meeting of 19 July, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept proposal for St. Augustine's Episcopal Church at 600 M Street, SW (case number SL 12-118), on a site designated as Parcel 11a of the proposed Southwest Waterfront development, also known as The Wharf. The Commission approved the concept design subject to the following comments and recommended consultation with the staff in the development of the design.
The Commission members commented that the reduction and simplification of the tower has resulted in an improvement in the design; however, they continued to express concern about the unresolved relationship of the church to the blank north wall of the residential building, which continues to be most problematic at the tower. They recommended refinement of the tower's design and details, particularly the triangular planes of glass proposed to house the church bells. They also recommended further study of the treatment of the materials selected for the exterior of the church, such as the juxtaposition of metal shingles with brick; and they observed that the proposed large windows along the north facade impart an inappropriately commercial character.
The Commission members look forward to review of the final design. Please coordinate the next submission with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
The Reverend Martha Clark
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
600 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
cc: Michael Foster, MTFA Architecture
Shawn Seaman, PN Hoffman & Associates