Federal Office Buildings 10A and 10B

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Located at the intersection of Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW, immediately south of the National Mall, these two rectangular office buildings, Federal Office Buildings (FOBs) 10A and 10B, were designed in the International Style and completed in 1963 to house the Federal Aviation Agency (later Administration) (FOB 10A, FAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (FOB 10B, NASA). In 2004, the two federal buildings were named for aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Constructed by J.W. Bateson Company, FOBs 10A and 10B were designed by two architectural firms: Holabird & Root & Burgee and Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen. Stylistically, the two office buildings were heavily influenced by New York City's Lever House (1952) and Seagram Building (1958), as well as the then-popular suburban corporate campus. Sitting at the southeast corner of the intersection, 10B (approx. 1.95 acres) is located on a smaller lot than 10A (approx. 3.6 acres), which sits at the southwest corner. 10B (six-stories tall) is also shorter than 10A (ten-stories tall). Both buildings have flat roofs.

FOB 10A is clad in white marble with fixed-sash, bronze-framed windows, and FOB 10B is clad in white marble with fixed-sash, anodized aluminum-framed windows. 10A's first and second floors are recessed behind a perimeter colonnade. 10A's main entrance faces Independence Avenue, while 10B's faces Maryland Avenue. Additionally, 10A has concrete plazas adjacent to its north and south elevations, while 10B only has a plaza on its south elevation (at its main entrance). A tunnel connects the two buildings.

Despite the buildings' Modernist design, this site has a long history. In particular, FOB 10A is located on the site of the infamous Yellow House, a 19th century slave pen where Solomon Northrup, who authored Twelve Years a Slave, was imprisoned. Later on, this area became a dense, vibrant neighborhood, and by the early 20th century, approximately 35,000 Washingtonians resided in Southwest DC. By the 1940s, the neighborhood was viewed as "blighted" and isolated, and was targeted for urban renewal.

Therefore, these two federal buildings, like others in Southwest Washington, resulted from postwar urban renewal. During this time, the federal government (through the General Services Administration) constructed — while hiring private architects — many buildings in Modernist architectural styles, particularly in relation to the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture (1962). The government also took a new interest in public art and site design, including plazas. Finally, the federal government wanted to move federal workers out of "tempos" (temporary office buildings that had sprung up on and around the National Mall during World Wars I and II).

The Redevelopment Land Agency purchased the sites for FOBs 10A and 10B in 1957, and transferred them to the federal government three years later. During this time, most of the sites' existing buildings were demolished. Construction on 10A (FAA) and 10B (NASA) started in 1961, with federal employees moving in by 1963. The new office buildings included a garage, cafeteria and snack bar, and clinic.

With the creation of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the new department secretary and undersecretary used FOB 10A, starting in 1967 (DOT is now located in Southeast Washington). Simultaneously, the Federal Aviation Agency became the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). NASA used 10B until 1992. The FAA now uses both 10A and 10B.

DC Inventory: October 24, 2024
National Register: October 11, 2024