Visiting Dumbarton Oaks, Georgetown

This past weekend offered beautiful fall weather, perfect for our Mid-Atlantic ICAA tour of Dumbarton Oaks arranged by landscape architect and boardmember Jennifer Horn.

Dumbarton Oaks has been owned by Harvard University since the early 1940s and hosts a number of their graduate programs on campus.  Sections of the famous gardens are open to the public and their renowned museum has a separate entrance on 32nd street NW.

Although much changed and constantly evolving, the gardens are the the work of famous landscape designer Beatrix Farrand, seen in the portrait above.

Unfortunately the house is undergoing some renovation work (roof and some structure being replaced) so scaffolding covered the neo-Georgian facade. You can see photos of the house at my earlier post from 2009 HERE.

The library is housed in the wing seen above designed by Thomas Waterman -a really spectacular period room in which one can study the antique landscape books in an elegant setting.

This grotto is only one of the many charming spots to be found throughout the gardens. The modern balustrade is very plain-jane compared to others found throughout the property but I suppose it meets code (most ugly railings do).

One of the best parts of attending the ICAA tours (everyone is welcome btw!) is that you get an opportunity to see many behind the scenes areas not open to the general public.

I had never seen most of the campus before and was thrilled with many of the original structures like the green house above, where plants are still grown for the gardens. The brick structure in the center was originally designed to be the library until someone came to their senses and realized antique books and water don't mix!

Washington is enjoying a spectacular fall this year which doesn't often happen. So often I feel we move directly from summer into winter.

 Many of the older structures such as the garage above have been wonderfully preserved on the exterior while the interiors have been unfortunately gutted and rebuilt in an institutional manner. Don't even ask about some of the modern buildings I'm not showing here and other work done on campus by architectural firm Robert Venturi - the less said there the better ( # inappropriate, # generic, # ugly ).

Many of us architects marveled at the lovely back door above - nicer than the front doors on many houses! Also notice the intricate brick paving patterns designed by Farrand.

The use of ornate brick and stone walls throughout the hilly, terraced gardens is one of my favorite aspects.

 While these are special details, they are to be found throughout the entire property.

Above is one of the many railing designs by Farrand - this may not meet modern day codes but is none-the-less pleasing to the eye.

Even the simple wooden garden bench above has lovely details; notice the scrolled bracket to the sides.

Inside the museum there are more wonderful treasures to check out. I particularly like the antique byzantine mosaics which are built into the flooring. The rather strange addition by Phillip Johnson, celebrating its 50th birthday, is growing on me and is a great example of marrying a modern addition to a classical structure (Robert Venturi take note!). Please join the ICAA on our next adventures and be sure to check out Dumbarton Oaks while in Washington, you won't be disappointed!

ICAA tour in DC, Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office

Join the ICAA next week (Wednesday, Oct 22 2014 from 6:15-8:30 PM) for an exciting tour of the newly restored Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office in Washington's recently gentrified Gallery Place / Chinatown.

 image by Pepper Watkins

The tour will include the museum director relating the history of Clara Barton followed by how the research was conducted to fulfill the 16 year conservation and restoration of this forgotten gem from the Civil War era. 2 AIA learning units are available for those who need them and fun will be had by all. Join me there!

image from OLBN architects

The cost is $10 for ICAA members and $25 to the general public. To reserve your spot please email Susan Sapiro at susan.sapiro@classicist-washington.org.  The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office is located at 437 7th Street NW.

Lecture opportunity with Stephen Salny THIS THURSDAY: The interiors of William Hodgins

Washingtonians are in for a treat!  Author Stephen Salny will be speaking on his latest book, William Hodgins Interiors, in Georgetown at Blake Hall for the ICAA THIS Thursday, Sept 18th at 7:15. Join members of the ICAA for drinks beforehand at 6:30. Mr. Salny will be signing copies of the book, which will be available for purchase, after the lecture.

Boston based decorator William Hodgins is considered one of America's greatest interior decorators. William Hodgins Inc was launched in 1969 and his work encompasses residential commissions from New England to Florida, as far west as California, and overseas.  Author Stephen M. Salny will present an in-depth look at Hodgins most important work to date during his illustrious, ongoing forty-year career.

Stephen M. Salny, who grew up in the Boston area and has had a long-standing interest in interior decoration, first became familiar with Hodgins' work at the age of 13. Salny knew many families who hired Hodgins to decorate their homes. Salny and the designer met in the early 1980s at Hodgins client's home in Palm Beach and they became good friends. In writing about Hodgins, Salny has had the pleasurable privilege of spending quality time with Hodgins, his associates, former employees, and many of his clients.

Information on attending the lecture is available at the ICAA website HERE about 1/2 way down the page. I hope to see you there!!

John Russell Pope tour and an upcoming ICAA event

I recently had the honor to host a lunch time tour of the John Russell Pope designed National Gallery of Art for the Mid-Atlantic branch of the ICAA of which I sit on the board.

Probably my favorite public building in a city of favorites, this classical gem was designed by architect John Russell Pope for Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon (basically and in short) gifted the building and the basis of its collection to the nation. In an odd twist of fate both Mellon and Pope passed away in August,1937 before the Galleries' dedication in 1941.

Clad in Tennessee pink marble the Neoclassical structure harkens the growing trend towards modernism while still looking to the past, as does much of its' collection.

Below you can see some early sketches by Pope which show the partee or basic plan as well as the massing of the building.

Largely based on Rome's Pantheon with wings housing the galleries, the structure incorporated the latest technology of the time which has held up remarkably well considering the wear and tear the building receives on a daily basis (including a recent earthquake)!

The central rotunda is my favorite space in the museum and possibly the city. The columns surrounding the central fountain are solid marble (quite the engineering feat getting those into place) which visually support a large coffered dome. While appearing to be the same stone as the rest of the interior, the dome is actually composed of plaster with a steel frame.

Indeed the entire structure is concrete and steel based with a very (modern) veneer of marble. It hides his secret well.

On either side of the rotunda are 2 skylit sculpture courts. As throughout the museum most spaces on the piano nobile are daylit by large skylights.

 The building itself is an encyclopedia on classical detailing.

I love this bronze lantern in one of the vestibules -notice the Greek key and architectural motifs.

The openings in the galleries themselves are clad in different materials -here in Italian travertine with silk damask walls (dating to the 1980s)

Seen above the current chief architect for the museum, Susan Wertheim, talks to the group about the Pantheon influence in front of Panini's painting, Interior of the Pantheon.

Speaking of classical detailing the ICAA has an upcoming lecture by Phillip James Dodd centered on his new book The Art of Classical Details on Thursday, May 22nd - a fascinating lecture not to be missed!

Information and tickets to the lecture can be purchased from the website; look towards the bottom of the events page linked HERE. Hope to see you there!

Classical Invention on the Hudson River by John Murray

Architect John Murray is no stranger to most style-minded classicists after his monograph,' Classical Invention', flew off shelves and onto design bookshelves everywhere. I recently heard him speak through our local chapter of the ICAA and his intelligence and beautiful work go hand in hand.

While flipping through the most recent issue of New Old House magazine I came across a renovated country house Murray completed on the Hudson River that made me feel instantly at home. Murray enhanced the existing house in such a way that one doesn't know what is old and what is new, one only knows that it is RIGHT.

 The floorplan is a dream come true for most of us I would imagine; The only thing missing is the river view!

 French casements open completely to bring in the river views and air. The century old beams are the only decoration needed architecturally, interior designer Sam Blount provided the rest.

 The kitchen has all of the modern amenities of a new house and the charm of the old house.  Again I love the french casements!

The screened porch can be used year round. And what is a screened porch without ceiling fan and sky-blue beadboard ceiling?  This definitely ranks among my country house dreams -how about yours?

All photographs by Durston Saylor from New Old House magazine, Spring/Summer 2014

David Mayernik lecture in Georgetown

Join the Washington Mid-Atlantic chapter of the ICAA in welcoming David Mayernik, architecture professor at Notre Dame, author, urban planner, artist, and architect,  to Georgetown to discuss his latest book The Challenge of Emulation in Art and Architecture. I've been told by his former students that he is a charismatic and inspirational speaker!

Emulation in the classical tradition was a challenging middle ground between imitating and inventing.  The disappearance of emulation fissured artistic production in the later 18th century into either copying the past or continually seeking novelty, approaches confirmed in the 19th century and mostly taken for granted today. Mayernik will show instead how emulation operated for artists and architects of the Renaissance and Baroque, and will describe his own process of emulation as an argument for its recovery today.

Find details on the event scheduled for Thursday March 13, 2014 on the website HERE. Hope to see you there!

Belgian ambassador's residence interiors 3: Library & summer room

The last rooms of the Belgian ambassador's residence by the firm of Horace Trumbauer that I will share are the most informal and perhaps the favorites of everyone who visited.  The library features Regency-style paneling of mellowed natural oak inspired by a model from the Chateau de Bercy which was on view at the Met in New York.

During our visit as twilight fell, a roaring fire welcomed one into the cozy room. The shelves feature a number of interesting books on Belgium and also photography, a passion of the current ambassador. The wood frames surrounding the shelves open which led me to wonder if they once held metal screens, glass, or perhaps fabric panels.

All of this mellow wood is beautiful but leaves one wishing there was a bit of contrast, no? brown brown brown. The game table below featured a beautiful Jade chess set.

 The fire did eventually burn down unfortunately but the marble mantel piece was no less beautiful.

Just off the library is the Summer room or loggia which features a stunning treillage treatment on the walls. This felt like one of the most used rooms we visited with comfortable sofas and a dining table. I loved the chandelier here which fit the garden theme.

The medallions feature paintings of birds such as cockatoos, flamingos, spoonbills, and macaws; perfect for the current ambassador's love of avian life.

 I can see this being my favorite space in the house, daytime or evening.

A close up of the walls shows the incredible detail in the wood treillage, the faux painting, and the beautiful medallions.

One last feature to share with you to round out the posts on the residence are the panels featured on every French door; I had never seen anything like this.

Much like a car window, perhaps harking back to the family fortune from Dodge, the 2nd pane up on the left hand side of all of the French doors would open while allowing the doors to remain closed and locked. During the recent renovation when the existing doors were converted to double pane windows in interest of energy savings, this feature was retained.

I hope you all enjoyed this 4 part tour of the Belgian ambassador's residence designed by the firm of Horace Trumbauer. Many thanks to the ambassador for sharing this lovely house with all of us and the ICAA for hosting another wonderful event!