The Latest Design For Eastbanc’s New West End Projects

• April 25, 2011
• 14 Comments

by UrbanTurf Staff

Rendering of new Eastbanc residences and library.

At an ANC meeting on Monday night, New York and Mexico-based TEN Arquitectos and Eastbanc unveiled the designs for the developer’s new West End projects. Above is the proposed rendering for the new library and the 174-unit condo project (currently referred to as Square 37) that will fill the 2300 block of L Street NW.

While Eastbanc’s Joe Sternlieb told the audience that the latest rendering is a work in progress, TEN Arquitectos principal Enrique Norton said that the design above incorporated feedback from residents at the Ritz Carlton (across the street) who worried that their views would be affected by the new project.

Below is the proposed rendering for Square 50 at 23rd and M Street that will include a new firehouse and 52 affordable rental units (reserved for those making 60% of area-median income), and possibly a squash club that will be open to the public.

The unveiling of the designs has been a long time coming as Eastbanc was originally chosen to redevelop the sites of the neighborhood’s fire house and library by the city almost a year ago.

Sternlieb said that if everything goes according to plan, ground will be broken on both sites in October/November 2012, construction will take about 27 months, and delivery will begin in early 2015.

Renderings courtesy of Eastbanc and TEN Arquitectos.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_latest_design_for_eastbancs_new_west_end_projects/3385

14 Comments

1. Steve said at 11:09 pm on Monday April 25, 2011:

   Look! We’re cutting edge! Instead of one big glass box we made it out of 100 glass boxes, except they’re all crooked and askew! Because that’s so unconventional. We eschew all convention and form with our bold statements because the past can teach us nothing. We are unbound by all previous design and architectural practice. Our egos are larger than your old forms can contain! Why am I using so many exclamation points?!?

1. Ace in DC said at 11:17 pm on Monday April 25, 2011:

   I think it looks cool.  I don’t necessarily want to live in them.  But I think we need to break up some of the monotony and add a little flair to down town.  Shake things up a bit.  Also, I bet the curtain industry is super excited right now too.

1. BB said at 11:26 pm on Monday April 25, 2011:

   I totally agree with Ace in DC. I love that DC is spicing up the architecture scene with projects like this.

1. Q-Street said at 11:30 pm on Monday April 25, 2011:

   The white and black house across the street is one of my favorites in the city.

   I think the rendering of the building is hideous, but at least they are trying something.

1. Most of us said at 5:28 am on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   Gag.

1. Eric K said at 8:37 am on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   I like it. I’m sure the usual suspects will wail and moan but I hope it gets built.

1. H Street Landlord said at 10:41 am on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   It’s great!

1. Ritz Carlton said at 11:53 am on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   Hopefully it won’t be a mold-athon like the one across the street.

1. Spike said at 1:56 pm on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   both building renderings are so much better than the drab Ritz Carlton building across the street and way better than pretending to be fake old architecture.

1. Liz said at 2:33 pm on Tuesday April 26, 2011:

   Ug-ly.  Square 50 looks like the worst of late-60s architecture, and Square 37 just doesn’t fit in.  I hope the Square 37 residents don’t mind that the library in their building has for years effectively been a day center for DC’s homeless, and the entryway to said library an informal shelter.  Call me whatever names you want, but I’d like to be able to go to my local library and feel safe.

1. BC said at 10:21 am on Wednesday April 27, 2011:

   Liz - I couldn’t agree more. DC’s deferential approach to dealing with our homeless problem does no one any good. Ignoring the problem doesn’t fix anything. Try getting the shopping carts, large duffle bag and piles of trash removed from the corner near the library—-5 calls to the police later, personal conversation with one officer, and nothing. Just ignore it. Leave packages like that elsewhere and it’s a security concern. But not when it’s by a library/quasi shelter.

1. Saltecks said at 11:37 am on Friday April 29, 2011:

   OMG!!  LMAO! can you spell U-G-L-Y. This building would look better in NOMA. At the NY Ave subway stop. Adjacent to the Railroad yard where it would fit right in with all the other new tacky buildings..

1. Ariel P. Diaz said at 3:21 pm on Friday April 29, 2011:

   Did anyonne notice that the developer said it got feedback on the design from the Ritz Carlton residents across the street, but made no mention of soliciting feedback from the residents in the building on the other side (the red one in the back of the drawing)?

1. Wendy Leibowitz said at 10:39 am on Monday May 2, 2011:

   I’m a resident of the Gibson (the humble red brick building that would be next door to this ugly, lifeless glass paperweight). I’m pro-development, but as usual, East Banc cares nothing for green space (I think there’s one tree in the drawing; when they built 22 West, another ugly lifeless building, they promised a row of trees but nothing was forthcoming). This building will block our sunlight and be uninhabitable unless you’re an exhibitionist. God help you if you want to hang a painting on a wall. I dare these architects to live in one of these apartments for one week.
   I know something will be built there, but we have to have something in scale for the neighborhood; that preserves sunlight in neighboring buildings; and has some green space.
   Incidentally, I use the West End library regularly with my pre-school child, and feel very safe and welcome there.
   As to squash courts over a fire station under low-income housing: I assume that’s a belated April Fool’s joke. They couldn’t be serious, could they?

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