Department of Energy
Cafeteria behind the Forrestal Building, on L'Enfant Promenade.
This was my favorite of the buildings in this complex. But this whole area is one of the best examples of modernism gone wrong. The overall concept for L'Enfant Plaza and L'Enfant Promenade was designed by I.M. Pei in the mid-sixties, and inaugurated in 1968. Washington Post architectural critic Wolf von Eckardt called it "a triumph of good architecture over bad planning" and was convinced that it would become "the city's major urban attraction."
But the few trees and planters do little to temper the feeling of cold sterility and emptiness of the wide avenue and intimidating buildings. There are no tourists here - only government workers who react suspiciously when they see someone with a camera. I was confronted by both government employees and very aggressive security guards who told me that that I couldn't take pictures of the buildings and that if I was not a Department of Energy employee, I would need to leave the area immediately - despite being in a public area. So the whole area has devolved into a sort of Orwellian nightmare, both in the architecture and the behavior of those who inhabit it.
Incidentally, for those of you who may be wondering, photographing Federal government buildings is perfectly legal and authorized. The Department of Homeland Security, itself, has issued guidance to clarify the official position: documents.nytimes.com/photographing-federal-buildings-fro...
Department of Energy
Cafeteria behind the Forrestal Building, on L'Enfant Promenade.
This was my favorite of the buildings in this complex. But this whole area is one of the best examples of modernism gone wrong. The overall concept for L'Enfant Plaza and L'Enfant Promenade was designed by I.M. Pei in the mid-sixties, and inaugurated in 1968. Washington Post architectural critic Wolf von Eckardt called it "a triumph of good architecture over bad planning" and was convinced that it would become "the city's major urban attraction."
But the few trees and planters do little to temper the feeling of cold sterility and emptiness of the wide avenue and intimidating buildings. There are no tourists here - only government workers who react suspiciously when they see someone with a camera. I was confronted by both government employees and very aggressive security guards who told me that that I couldn't take pictures of the buildings and that if I was not a Department of Energy employee, I would need to leave the area immediately - despite being in a public area. So the whole area has devolved into a sort of Orwellian nightmare, both in the architecture and the behavior of those who inhabit it.
Incidentally, for those of you who may be wondering, photographing Federal government buildings is perfectly legal and authorized. The Department of Homeland Security, itself, has issued guidance to clarify the official position: documents.nytimes.com/photographing-federal-buildings-fro...