List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.

Aerial image of Northwest Washington, D.C.

This list of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C. ranks high-rises in the U.S. capital city of Washington, D.C. The tallest structure in the city, excluding radio towers, is the Washington Monument, which rises 555 feet (169 m) and was completed in 1884. The structure, however, is not generally considered a high-rise building as it does not have successive floors that can be occupied. The tallest habitable building in the city is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which rises 329 feet (100 m). The second-tallest building in Washington is the Old Post Office Building, which is 315 feet (96 m) high. The third-tallest building in the city is the Washington National Cathedral, which rises 301 feet (92 m) above grade. The cathedral is built on high ground known as Mount St. Alban, 400 feet (120 m) above sea level, which makes the central tower the "highest" point in the District.^[1] As of November 2011, there are 410 completed high-rises in the city.^[2]

History

Diagram of the Principal High Buildings of the Old World, 1884. The Washington Monument (although not in the Old World), is the tallest structure represented.

Washington's history of skyscrapers began with the completion in 1894 of the 14-story Cairo Hotel, which is considered to be the city's first high-rise.^[3][4] The building rises 164 feet (50 m) and 14 floors.^[3] Washington went through an early high-rise construction boom from the late 1890s to the mid-1930s, during which time the Old Post Office Building and the Federal Triangle were built. The city then experienced a major building boom from the early 1940s to the late 1990s, during which the city saw the completion of 31 of its 48 tallest buildings, including One Franklin Square and 700 Eleventh Street. However, although the city is home to several high-rises, none are considered to be genuine "skyscrapers"; only two completed buildings surpass 200 feet (61 m).

The height of buildings in Washington is limited by the Height of Buildings Act. The original Act was passed by Congress in 1899 in response to the 1894 construction of the Cairo Hotel, which is much taller than the majority of buildings in the city. The original act restricted the heights of any type of building in the United States capital city of Washington, D.C., to be no higher than 110 feet (34 m), 90 feet (27 m) for residential buildings. In 1910, the 61st United States Congress enacted a new law which raised the overall building height limit to 130 feet (40 m), but restricted building heights to the width of the adjacent street or avenue plus 20 feet (6.1 m); thus, a building facing a 90-foot (27 m)-wide street could be only 110 feet (34 m) tall.^[5] However, building heights are measured from the sidewalk or curb to the edge of the roof. Architectural embellishments, mechanical rooms, and common rooftop structures may be exempted from the overall height limit, provided they are setback from the roof line.^[6][7] The heights of buildings listed here may therefore exceed the general height limit as measured for the purpose of the city's zoning laws.

Arlington's Rosslyn and Crystal City skylines as seen from Georgetown University

In modern times the skyline remains low and sprawling, keeping with Thomas Jefferson's wishes to make Washington an "American Paris" with "low and convenient" buildings on "light and airy" streets.^[5] Washington's height restriction, however, has been assailed as one of the primary reasons why the city has inflated rents, limited affordable housing, and traffic problems as a result of urban sprawl. To escape the District's height restriction, architects wishing to construct higher buildings close to downtown often do so in Rosslyn, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Georgetown.^[5]

One of the most recently completed buildings in Washington, D.C. is Capitol View, which is 171 feet (52 m) high.^[8] As of July 2008, there is one high-rise under construction in the city that is expected to rise at least 150 feet (46 m), with one more proposed and one approved for construction. Onyx on First is the only high-rise under construction in Washington; upon completion, it will be the 14th-tallest building in the city.^[9] Two other large developments taking place are Square 54 Residential I, which is proposed for construction, and the PNC Bank Building, which is approved. The Square Residential I building at George Washington University is expected to rise to a height of 160 feet (49 m) and 14 stories,^[10][11] while the PNC Bank Building is expected to rise to a height of 151 feet (46 m) and 12 stories.^[12] As of July 2008, there is a total of four high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction and proposed for construction in Washington.^[2]

Tallest structures

The Washington Monument is the tallest structure in the District of Columbia.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the tallest building in Washington.

The Old Post Office Building, the second-tallest building in Washington

The Washington National Cathedral, the third-tallest building in Washington

The United States Capitol, the fourth-tallest building in Washington

Georgetown University's Healy Hall, the sixth-tallest building in Washington

The National Archives Building, the sixteenth-tallest building in Washington

The Thomas Jefferson Building, the ninth-tallest building in Washington

This lists ranks Washington skyscrapers that stand at least 150 feet (46 m), based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. An equal sign (=) following a rank indicates the same height between two or more buildings. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed. Freestanding observation towers, while not habitable buildings, are included for comparison purposes; however, they are not ranked.

Tallest demolished

This lists buildings in Washington that have been demolished and at one time stood at least 150 feet (46 m) in height.

Timeline of tallest buildings

This lists buildings that once held the title of tallest building in Washington, D.C. This list excludes the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument, which has stood as the tallest non-building structure in the city since 1884.^[14]

Notes

A. ^{^} Not a habitable building and is therefore not ranked, but it is included in this list for comparative purposes.

References

General

• "High-rise Buildings of Washington". Emporis.com. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 

Specific

External links

• Diagram of Washington, D.C. skyscrapers on SkyscraperPage