Letter
Dear Ms. Craighill:
In its meeting of 21 July, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the revised concept design for renovation of the eighth–floor terrace adjacent to the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the Department of State headquarters building at 22nd and C Streets, NW. The Commission appreciated the careful response to the comments from the previous month's review and approved the concept submission with the following recommendations.
The Commission members endorsed the more linear overall composition of the terrace, recommending the alternative of five circular benches with the lower height for the back of the benches. They also supported the revisions to the proposed fountains and donor panels in the two existing niches, recommending that the marble returns on either side be extended to the floor which would separate the different heights and planes of the adjacent metal bases. For the west end of the terrace, they supported a treatment of the quotation wall as a wide stone panel framed by narrow vertical bands of the existing green marble wall, similar to the framing of the donor panels above the fountains.
The Commission members expressed appreciation for the opportunity to review the historic photographs included in the presentation package. The Commission delegated the review of the final design submission to the staff, which is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Marcee Craighill
Director, Diplomatic Reception Rooms
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520–0001
cc: Rick Parisi, M. Paul Friedberg and Partners