Travel: Washington, D.C.

The St. Regis Hotel in Washington D.C. was built in 1926 and is just two blocks away from The White House. The ceiling of the lobby was very ornate and detailed. Harry Wardman was an English Architect who was the son of textile workers. At age 17 he came to the United States, and after several years of living in the United States, he began working as a carpenter which helped him design row homes, and hotels with very high quality construction detailing and materials.

The White House was built between 1792 and 1800. John Adams was the first president to move into the White House. The White House was designed in a competition which had 9 proposals. The design was inspired by Georgian era Irish country houses in plan and interior details. Inspirations also are derived from neo-classical chateaus. Since the original construction of the building, it has went under many renovations with each new president.

The buildings of Washington D.C. are very conservative and designed in the romanesque, classical style. These buildings really inspire me to focus on the details of tectonics and the layering effect of spaces and materials. The deep inset windows of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building creates a very strong contrast of shadowing effects.