MGM Resorts International was seeking office space in Washington, DC for its government relations team. The MGM government relations project was a unique opportunity to take an historic landmark building on Stanton Park and repurpose it into a corporate facility. MMD was Architect on the project, teamed with Gensler as Interior Architect, to bring new life to this abandoned building in a prestigious location on Capitol Hill. The effort involved restoring this post-Civil War structure as much as possible to its original architectural details, while adding modern and contemporary elements to render the facility a 21st-century state-of-the-art office.

Our design rethinks the relationship between the original historic structure with the subsequently-built southern addition as a one story building in deference to the northern block that faces Stanton Park. We maintained, as much as possible, the historic windows and doors of the facade for the integrity of the original building. Where necessary in the addition, we provided for as much natural light as possible through window arrangements that are more contemporary to make that office experience as pleasant as possible as a street level environment adjacent to the west-facing garden space.

This project also entailed bringing the structure up to ADA requirements by adding an elevator and an egress stair enclosed in glass in a complimentary contemporary style to distinguish the new from the old in the overall composition of the renovation. All of our design decisions were made in concert with various regulatory agencies for this location.  These agencies included the HPRB, the ANC, and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society. We were able to provide a design that pleased all three groups resulting in our being granted the necessary building permits to execute this project.