Checking in on the channel

Abstract

The urban redevelopment of the last fifty years reshaped the entire Southwest quadrant (and much of the adjoining Southeast) of Washington, DC. By using a Modernist tabula rasa approach in their remaking, the architects of the redevelopment obliterated the quadrant's historical context, and left the Southwest without much of a discernible identity, other than a stylistic one. While it may be too late to recreate the neighborhood quality of old in this part of the city, it is possible to give it some sort of iconic structure which will be the first step in establishing a new identity for the area. A grand hotel along the Washington Channel could serve as the catalyst for such a change while providing service to the city. Such a hotel would take advantage of its location by allowing for access to the city by water, essentially serving as a point of arrival to Washington, similar to the way Union Station and National Airport serve travelers. The hotel would also cater to the transitory business and government populations of the city through an innovative room design. The end result would be the turning of a corner as the Southwest would once again redevelop itself, but this time with a more favorable outcome.