The Wardman Tower has stood as a cultural centerpiece in the middle Washington, DC for nearly 90 years. Built in 1928, the national landmark, named after Harry Wardman, is a red brick English Colonial-Revival Style luxury home that has housed multiple high-profile political figures. Among the guests who have stayed at the Wardman Tower is Presidents Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson and Vice Presidents Henry Wallace, Herbert Humphrey, and Spiro Agnew.
“Few, if any, Washington buildings can claim to have housed more nationally and internationally prominent figures,” stated the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP was responsible for awarding Wardman Tower with its National Landmark status in 1984. According to the organization, the 16-acre site offers “…a park-like setting for the enjoyment of hotel residents. The stucture is composed of four, eight-story wings radiating spoke-like from a central octagonal tower. The arrangement provides all rooms with exterior views and gives the building its distinctive cruciform shape.”
During the building’s renovation, priority was given to preserving Wardman Tower’s exterior. Travis Gold of Mid-Atlantic Coatings, Inc.explained, “It was a very involved project. As a historic landmark, it was necessary to preserve as much of the building’s original materials as possible. Every time we were at the jobsite, the historical significance of the building was discussed. Every decision and change had to be reviewed by the appropriate channels.”
Architectural embellishments and other details received a fluoropolymer polyurethane coating system, boosting longevity and hyper-durability. The exclusively Tnemec-supplied coating system used on the renovation project was completed with the addition of Series 1071 Fluoronar, a high-solids fluoropolymer. The Lumiflon FEVE resin technology used in Fluoronar offers surfaces a plethora of benefits, which includes chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, weatherability, and excellent color and gloss retention. FEVE-based coatings also enjoy a long lifespan, which significantly lowers life-cycle costs.
According to the Wardman Tower website, the historical landmark “…stands as a reminder of what architecture in this powerful city has been, and as a beacon of what it can be.”
Information courtesy of Tnemec
Categories Architecture