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Washington, D.C. » Capitol Hill Neighborhood » Penn Medical Building

Penn Medical Building

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1983–1986, David M. Schwarz. 650 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
  • Penn Medical Building (Photographic Archives of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)

The Penn Medical Building is a Postmodern complex with an office building composed around the marquee and lettering of John Eberson's 1935 Penn Theater and connected by a courtyard to 649 C Street, an apartment house designed by Schwarz as part of the complex. Its refreshingly imaginative glazed terracotta facade is composed in five parts with the three central sections stepping back to create a series of balconies and large windows, welcome amenities for office workers. The fine proportional relationship of the masses, variety of shiny surfaces (polished marble and granite at ground level), and soft but vibrant colors, all echo the flavor of the original building but far surpass it in architectural quality.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Pamela Scott and Antoinette J. Lee
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Data

What's Nearby

Eastern Market
The Maples
Henry Rabe House
Carbery House
James H. Grant House

Citation

Pamela Scott and Antoinette J. Lee, "Penn Medical Building", [Washington, District of Columbia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/DC-01-CN34.

Print Source

Buildings of the District of Columbia, Pamela Scott and Antoinette J. Lee. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993, 261-261.

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