Existing comment:
The Cannon House Office Building Renewal Project
Design and Construction
The Cannon House Office Building (begun in 1905 and opened in 1908) is the oldest office building constructed for either house of Congress and is an important example of the Beaux Arts style of architecture. This building and a similar one for the Senate (now the Russell Senate Office Building) relieved overcrowding in the U.S. Capitol. Before they opened, members had to find office space in rented quarters or borrow it in Capitol committee rooms.
The Cannon House Office Building was designed by the prominent New York architectural firm Carrere and Hastings. John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings, who had studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and had worked for McKim, Mead, and White, designed many notable buildings, including the New York Public Library. They were also the architects of the Russell Senate Office Building.
The building was designed as a hollow trapezoid to admit light to inner offices. It included such state-of-the-art features as a forced-air ventilation system, steam heat, individual lavatories with hot and cold running water and ice water, telephones and electricity. When the building opened in contained 397 offices, one for each representative in the 61st Congress, and 14 committee rooms. Later additions and changes, and the relocation of members to two additional buildings, resulted in the present 142 three-room suites, the Caucus Room and three hearing rooms.
In 1962, the building was named for Joseph Gurney Cannon, an Illinois Republican who served almost five decades in Congress and was Speaker of the House when the building was authorized and when it was completed.
The Rotunda:
The Cannon Rotunda functions as a lobby and an introduction to the grandeur of the building. Eighteen Corinthian columns on a marble arcade support a richly detailed entablature, and the coffered dome's oculus is glazed to flood the Rotunda with natural light. At the rear, a split staircase leads to the upper floors.
The Need for Renewal:
After more than a century of use, the Cannon House Office Building is subject to serious safety, health, environmental, and operational issues that must be addressed. The building's systems have not received a comprehensive upgrade since the 1930s; many of them are original -- dating back to 1908 -- and have long passed to end of their useful lives.
Without action, essential systems housed behind the walls and in utility spaces will continue to deteriorate and fail, jeopardizing the building's long-term usability and safety. The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is addressing these urgent problems with a complete renewal of the building to provide an effective Congressional workplace into the next century.
Project Information
What will the project accomplish?
The Cannon Renewal project will focus on key building systems; heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety, accessibility and structural integrity. Replacing or repairing systems and components will resolve numerous problems, such as plumbing leaks, plaster ceiling failures and falling pieces of exterior stone. The project will make the building far more energy efficient, comfortable and safe, while retaining its historic grandeur.
The scope of the work is indicated by the numbers and quantities of building elements to be repaired or replaced:
* 740 windows
* 510 lights
* Over 260,000 square feet of exterior marble (a total area larger than four football fields)
* Over 1.2 million square feet of plaster
* Almost 46-1/2 miles of piping
* Over 80 miles of conduit
* Almost 76,000 square feet of roof turned "green"
What is the schedule of the project?
The Cannon Renewal project is separated into five two-year phases, aligned with the Congressional move cycles. During each phase, portions of streets around the building will be partitioned off to create temporary areas for delivery trucks and space for workers to conduct their operations. During the initial phase, which began in 2015, utility infrastructure upgrades while occuring primarily in the basement and areas of the courtyard will support the remaining phases of the project.
In each of Phases 1-4, one wing (highlighted in the above graphics) will be closed to allow for installation of new building utility systems, restoration of historic elements, as well as construction of a completely remodeled fifth floor. Scaffolding will be installed on the exterior street and courtyard sides of the building while the damaged stone facade is restored. The restoration of the internal courtyard occurs during Phase 4, which includes the installation of a green roof.
What ensures that the project delivers good value to the taxpayer?
The AOC is committed to maximizing taxpayer value, reducing the risk of cost overruns and delays and minimizing disruption to the work of Congress. Careful definition of requirements during the initial steps of the project will help avoid future changes that may cause cost increases and delays. In addition, the AOC is incorporating lessons learned from other complex projects and implementing risk mitigation strategies. Similar projects have been conducted throughout the Executive Branch, including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the headquarters of the Departments of Interior, Justice, Treasury and Commerce. |