National Press Building

National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 

A 1920s DC landmark gets a refresh to suit new tenants and new work styles. 

Client

Columbia Property Trust

Location

Washington, D.C.

Markets/Services

Architecture, Commercial Office Buildings, Fire Protection and Life Safety Engineering, Interiors, Lighting Design, Workplace

Situated between the White House and Capitol Hill, the National Press Building is a well-known Washington landmark serving as the working hub for news bureaus and journalists from around the world since 1927. Reporters traditionally filed their stories from a hive of small offices in the immense 490,000-square-foot, 14-story building, which also houses the National Press Club and a variety of business and retail tenants.  

The building has undergone various renovations over time, including removing an original theater, but the last major renovation in the 1980’s connected the National Press Building to neighboring buildings creating The Shops at National Place with a multistory enclosed atrium lobby.  

 

National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 

 

While still a prestigious address, the building’s insular, warren-like layout no longer suited 21st-century tenants. In 2018 the building’s owner, Columbia Property Trust, turned to SmithGroup to add amenities and create a more inviting public presence. The phased improvements have repositioned the National Press Building for a new era, opening and activating the lower floors with more modern common areas, desired amenities and flexible conference spaces.  

 

National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 

The new design reconfigures a dark and dated lobby area with a monumental stair that links the ground floor and second floor.

 

The stair provides better visibility and cohesion with atrium created in the 1980’s renovation. The stair guides visitors up to the public spaces visible on the second floor, including a café, casual seating and collaborative areas. A 20,000-square foot conference center is adaptable for traditional meetings, trainings and casual gatherings with bar-style seating.   

 

National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 
National Press Building, Workplace, Interior Lobby, Commercial Office Buildings, Architecture, Interior, Architecture, Lighting Design, Fire Protection & Life Safety 

 

The second phase of the renovation created The Nexus—a suite of flexible office spaces—on the seventh floor. The Nexus provides finished, secured office space particularly attractive for smaller tenants needing a solution better than the co-working options with flexibility intact. The 21 suites in the Nexus range from only 281 square feet to 3,800 square feet.  

With improved accessibility, tenant amenities and a suite of modern office building services reflecting today’s changing work styles, the National Press Building has positioned itself for the future while remaining true to its historic roots.