3 December 2008 | Posted inBlog News & Updates, Video
Field Trip to the CVC
Today Claire Whitehill and I had a meeting at the Rayburn House Office Building (we’re working on the Capitol Complex Master Plan – I can’t tell you any more about the project, or I’d have to kill you). Anyway, after our meeting was over we thought we’d take a quick tour of the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC).
For those of you that don’t know, the Capitol Visitor Center opened Tuesday. It’s a huge underground annex to the Capitol (located under the East Front, between the Capitol and the Supreme Court/Library of Congress), and includes lots of nifty tourist-oriented spaces including orientation theaters, an exhibit gallery, gift shops, food service, and restrooms. It also houses workspace for the House of Represenatives and the Senate, and a Congressional Auditorium.
Please note my favorite part of the movie: couple smooching during “celebrity sighting” (Alan Hantman, former Architect of the Capitol, in the background wearing a hat, between the kissing couple)
I have to say, the CVC is gorgeous! Congrats to the many folks at RTKL and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol who made this happen. I’m looking forward to going back to spend some quality time going through the exhibits (and sampling the salad bar).
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Great post and video, Jodi (and Claire)!
In the “opposing viewpoint” category, the Washington Post critic called the building “…a historical and aesthetic jumble, a nonsensical place and a gross disfigurement of one of this country’s most important and iconic buildings.” Why can’t we all just be one big happy architectural family???
I have to say that I don’t always agree with the Post…they hated the Newseum too and I think it’s kind of cool (at least from the outside).
What’s really unique about the CVC is that from the outside, it’s kind of hard to tell anything has changed. From the inside of the Capitol, too.
One of the reasons I love the Capitol and the rest of the complex is because it has grown and changed so much over the last 200+/- years – the CVC is yet another iteration in the growth of the complex, whether you love it or hate it.
I’m so jealous you guys got there first! Looks really well done. I’m especially impressed with the cookies.