New Post Office Building
Located at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the Ariel Rios
Federal Building, also known as the new Post Office, was designed by
William Adams Delano and William T. Aldrich and constructed between
1931-1935. Inspired by the Place Vendome in Paris, the Ario Rios
Federal Building was intended to be a central feature of the Federal
Triangle. The central section of the tri-unit building is comprised of
two huge, back to back, semi-circular units with side wings. The
hemicycle formed by the building's curve was to be mirrored by a
similarly curved façade built across 12th Street on the site of the
Old Post Office Building. However, preservation efforts in the 1970's
saved the Old Post Office from demolition and the second half of the
grand plaza was never finished as designed. The Ariel Rios Federal
Building's seven-story spiral marble staircase is a prominent element
of the interior. A chandelier hangs in the center of the staircase and
has exposed bulbs to illuminate each floor. It terminates in a
dramatic chrome and brass globe.
Photo 292, Nov 2008
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