Letter
Dear Mr. Hunter:
In its public meeting of 17 July conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a final design submission for the Metropolitan Police Department’s new 7th District headquarters building and associated landscape at 2455 Alabama Avenue, SE. The Commission approved the final design and provided the following comments.
The Commission members expressed appreciation for the development of the design of the building and landscape. They found that retaining a subtle difference between the facade treatment at the ground floor and the two-story upper volume—featuring a simple running bond at the ground level with a more elaborate protruding brickwork texture on the upper floors—helps to ground the building into the landscape. They reiterated their previous advice to use the brick facade details of the upper volume in the perimeter wall in order to provide relief and add architectural interest along the sidewalk.
The Commission looks forward to the completion of this important civic building. Please coordinate the documentation of the final design with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Delano Hunter, Director
D.C. Department of General Services
3924 Minnesota Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20019
cc: Salo Levinas, Shinberg Levinas Architects
Evan Timms, Bradley Site Design
Sean Conboy, Metropolitan Police Department