PROJECT Capital Yacht Club

LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  10/1/2017

ARCHITECT Cunningham | Quill Architects

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT  N/A

OWNER/CLIENT Capital Yacht Club and PN Hoffman

CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Clark Construction Group, LLC

PHOTOGRAPHER  Alan Karchmer

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Lee Quill, FAIA; Nandor Mitrocsak, AIA; Ana Baker, AIA

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Founded in 1892, the Capital Yacht Club (CYC) is a historic yacht club based in Washington, DC. As part of The Wharf redevelopment project, located on the Washington Channel of the Potomac River and developed by Hoffman-Madison Marquette, the new building is a 7,500 SF facility positioned at the water’s edge on a pier along the pedestrian promenade. Slightly protected from the Yacht Club Plaza to the north which faces entries to a hotel, restaurants and a multifamily residential building, the building opens to embrace the southern water views and the new CYC marina.

Built in 1922, the original Capital Yacht Club building was located on Washington, DC’s working waterfront along the Washington Channel slightly west of the new location. The 1922 yacht club building had a beamed ceiling, a large fireplace, and a southern balcony overlooking the water. As an iconic building, its architectural and institutional character was much beloved by the public before its 1959 urban renewal demolition. The new Capital Yacht Club design draws upon design elements of the historic building for inspiration.

The Capital Yacht Club building is featured as an iconic visual element seen from both water and land at The Wharf. The building sits atop an engineered marine pier located above both the promenade bulkhead (land side) and the Washington Channel (water side). This site position of spanning the edge of the bulkhead conceptually positions the building as a connector of land and water. The unique two-sided site condition of land and water inspired a simple design parti, juxtaposing a heavy, solid masonry element on land and a light, open and airy element over the water.

Connection to the water informed the design of the building and interior spaces. On the first floor, the main entrance lobby aligns with a conference room enclosed in glass on two sides to allow for unhindered views through to the water. Floor to ceiling windows and a nanawall along the entire balcony providing unhindered views to water from the second floor multipurpose meeting/dining room. The building is positioned slightly off-center to the Yacht Club Plaza, so that visitors walking down Sutton Square Mews constantly maintain a visual connection to the water.

The materials vary depending on the location over land or water. Highly visible on all facades, the design employs more solid materials of layered honed stone anchoring the building on the land side. On the water side, the building is wrapped in pre-patinated silver-green zinc (reminiscent of pre-patinated copper, a material commonly found sheathing British ship’s hulls in the 1800’s) and large areas of glass shielded by horizontal sun screens. A third level of detail has been added to the building with wood screens that softly filter light on the east, west, and south facades while maintaining interior views to the water.

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Project/Jury PDF

IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS

IMAGE 1  The Building Sits At The Edge Of The Wharf Promenade And The Channel Bridging Land And Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 2  The Building Sits At The Edge Of The Wharf Promenade And The Channel Bridging Land And Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 3  Multi-Purpose Dining / Meeting Room With Views To The Water, A Nanawall Opens To A Large Balcony Along The Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 4  The Land Side Of The Building Has Strategically Placed Windows And Doors To Ensure Transparent Views Through To The Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 5   New Capital Yacht Club Cantilevered Over The Water Facing The New Wharf Pedestrian Promenade; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 6   Open And Transparent Spaces Enhance Connection To The Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 7  Water Side (Light) Of Building Dominated By Windows And Ship-Like Materials; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography

IMAGE 8  Detail Of Second Floor Balcony Over Water; © Alan Karchmer Architectural Photography