My own, private Washington

Abstract

Recent affairs in Washington D.C. are beginning to lay the foundation for a new exploration of architecture. The division line between national and corporate identities, their spatial relationship to the public realm are beginning to blur. The expanding influence of private entities in public affairs necessitates and exploration of how public architecture is dealt with in responds to the needs of two distinctive user groups. In my proposed future for Washington D.C., this new influx of corporate influence in the American system of government will necessitate the investigation of the line of separation between government and private industry. This new entity of quasi-public, quasi-private distinction must instigate a rethinking of representation in terms of identity and in terms of spatial relationship in the public realm. As constructs of individuals, both government and private industry are, although differently, directly connected to the service of the public. A reevaluation of a mundane, yet extremely invaluable program that contributes to the diminishing of public influence can be the vessel through which to explore grater ideas about the transparency of the system and how the public is exposed to it. Examining the definition of a "public" building through the lens of it's intended users can reveal how transparency, both literal and phenomenological can be manipulated to expose a larger statement about public and private realms.