United States Institute of Peace Headquarters
- Architect
- Moshe Safdie
- Year
- 2011
- Style
- Contemporary Modern
- City
- Washington, DC
Completed in 2011 at the corner of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Foggy Bottom, this was the first permanent headquarters for the United States Institute of Peace, the government-funded think tank on peacemaking established by Congress in 1984. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the building occupies a prominent site near the National Mall and the Potomac River, chosen by Congress in 1996 after the Institute spent over a decade renting downtown office space.
the building
The sail-like roof. Safdie gave the headquarters a distinctive white, sail-shaped roof, an environmentally minded gesture visible from the National Mall that became the building's most talked-about — and most debated — feature.
the style
Classed as modern architecture, the design leans on its sculptural roof rather than historical ornament to make its statement, though critics' reviews of the result have been mixed.
More on Contemporary Modernthe architect
Moshe Safdie is an internationally known architect; the USIP headquarters brought his practice to one of the most visible sites in Washington, at the edge of the National Mall.
nearby
- American Institute of Pharmacy (American Pharmacists Association)
- National Academy of Sciences
- Harry S. Truman Federal Building
- Old Naval Observatory
- Lincoln Memorial
- Eccles Building