J. Edgar Hoover Building
| J. Edgar Hoover Building | |
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 J. Edgar Hoover Building |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| Address | 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW |
| Town or city | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′42.71″N 77°1′29.98″W / 38.8951972°N 77.0249944°WCoordinates: 38°53′42.71″N 77°1′29.98″W / 38.8951972°N 77.0249944°W |
| Inaugurated | September 30, 1975 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 2,800,876 square feet |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Charles F. Murphy and Associates |
| Structural engineer | Berswenger, Hoch, Arnold, and Associates |
The J. Edgar Hoover Building is located in Washington, D.C. It is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The building, named for former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, is located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The building received its official name, the J. Edgar Hoover F.B.I. Building, through Public Law 92-520, which President Richard Nixon signed May 4, 1972, two days after Director Hoover's death.
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[edit] Planning
Since 1935, as an element of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI had been headquartered in the Department of Justice Building. In April 1962, Congress approved the construction of a separate building for the FBI. The General Services Administration allocated funding for the project, and design began. The GSA appointed Berswenger, Hoch, Arnold, and Associates for engineering, and Charles F. Murphy and Associates as an architectural firm.
The design was finalized in 1964, and construction began on December 6, 1967. Employees moved into the facility between June 27, 1974, and June 1977. President Gerald Ford officially dedicated the building on September 30, 1975.
[edit] Architecture
The building was constructed in a Brutalist architectural style, the entire exterior having been constructed from poured concrete. Like most Brutalist buildings, it has suffered criticism for aesthetics and functionality. Washingtonian magazine named it one of the “Buildings I'd Tear Down”, along with the Kennedy Center.[1] According to the plans, the building contains 2,800,876 square feet (260,201 m²) of floor space for 7,090 employees.[2]
[edit] Artwork
The courtyard of the building includes the sculpture Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity by Frederick Charles Shrady. In January 1975 the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI passed a resolution to create a memorial to J. Edgar Hoover. The memorial was funded through contributions and cost $125,000. The artist was selected through a design contest and upon its completion, the sculpture was dedicated on October 13, 1979. The piece, made of bronze (W. 15 ft. 7 in. D. 5 ft. 7 in.), shows three modeled figures which represent Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity. The figures are placed against a backdrop of a large United States flag which appears to wave in the breeze. Fidelity, a female, is on the right, seated on the ground and looking up at a male figure of Bravery. To the left of Bravery is Integrity, a male figure who kneels on one knee, with his left hand on his heart. He looks towards Bravery, who stands flanked by the two other figures. The figures are simple with little detail. The sculpture rests on a rectangular base (2 ft. 6 in. x 10 ft. 3 in. x 7 ft. 4 in.) made of black slabs of marble and mortar. The front of the base is carved and painted with the words Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity. In 1993 the piece was surveyed as part of the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! and was described as needing conservation treatment.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Adelman, Ken (1 October 2005). "What I've Learned: Arthur Cotten Moore". Washingtonian. http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/1755.html. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- ^ "History of FBI Headquarters". Federal Bureau of Investigation. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/hq. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- ^ Smithsonian Institution (1993). "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity, (sculpture).". Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey. Smithsonian Institution. http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!324777~!0#focus. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: J. Edgar Hoover Building |
- Model of the J Edgar Hoover FBI Building—Google 3D model
