Mid-Century Modernism in Southwest
Southwest is full of mid-century modernist architectural gems. These include Arena Stage, River Park, and I.M. Pei's Town Center East. However, the neighborhood also gained notoriety as an early site of urban renewal. Follow along to learn details about these interesting sites, and gain new insight into the neighborhood's history.
This walking tour covers 2 miles and will take approximately 50 minutes to complete.
Loading Sites
Sites 7
Mid-Century Modernism in Southwest: River Park: 1301 Deleware Avenue SW
River Park was designed by Charles Goodman and constructed in 1962. The gated community includes nine-story apartment buildings and unusual barrel-roofed apartments. The distinctive use of aluminum…
Mid-Century Modernism in Southwest: Channel Square: 325 P Street, SW
Channel Square is also one of the very few apartment buildings in DC by noted architect, Harry Weese. Though he was trained under and appreciated the Modernist approach, Weese is often considered one…
Harbour Square: Built between 1963 and 1966, the Harbour Square complex of apartments and townhouses was the fourth superblock completed in the Southwest Renewal Area.
The buildings stand tallest at the west end, where the complex opens in a U shape to maximize views of the river, and they drop to three stories near 4th Street where they embrace and incorporate…
Tiber Island: This Modernist residential complex was an early part of the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront in the 1960s.
Designed by Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon and completed in 1965, Tiber Island was part of the nation’s first urban renewal project. As part of the project, Tiber Island was considered a model for the…
Arena Stage: This flagship American theater, built 1960, is a notable element of the Southwest urban renewal program.
Arena Stage is the home of a major Washington cultural institution and nationally prominent pioneer in the American Regional Theater movement. The innovative design of the theater, built in 1960,…
Town Center East: Town Center East is a two-building apartment complex erected in 1960-1961 within I.M. Pei's larger Town Center Plaza superblock.
The twin nine-story Modernist buildings of Town Center East, designed by I.M. Pei, face each other across a landscaped yard. The complex is mirrored by Town Center West on the opposite side of the…
Capitol Park Apartments: Capitol Park Apartments, completed in 1959, was the first building finished under the Southwest Urban Renewal Plan.
Capitol Park Apartments was built on the site of Dixon’s Court, long considered a notorious alley slum. Photographs of impoverished conditions in the alley with the Capitol dome in the background were…Tour curated by: DC Preservation League