Letter
Dear Ms. Chiu:
Due to the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and national health emergency, the Commission of Fine Arts cancelled its public meeting scheduled for 19 March 2020, and the Commission members were not able to hear a final design presentation on the facade replacement and repair for the Hirshhorn Museum, located at Independence Avenue and 7th Street, SW. However, based on their review of the submitted design, the Commission members have voted by poll to provide the following recommendations and comments.
The Commission members recommended approval of the project, with the understanding that the materials such as precast concrete panels, balcony flooring, glazing systems, and exterior doors are replaced in kind. The proposed concrete mix for the replacement precast concrete panels using Swenson Pink (Millennium) granite aggregate to match cast-in-place elements is approved per the inspection of a mockup by the Commission staff and historic preservation stakeholders on 22 January 2020.
This recommendation will be placed on the administrative agenda for confirmation at the Commission’s next public meeting. As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Melissa Chiu, Director
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Avenue and 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20560
cc: Kirill Pivovarov, CallisonRTKL