Rosslyn goes vertical
BeyondDC
Rosslyn is home to the tallest skyscrapers in the DC area, but its skyline, which is easily visible from the National Mall, isn’t exactly beautiful. Every roof is flat, and except for a pair of towers on low elevation that rise above 300 feet, just about every building is near the same height. At the same time, the narrow block immediately above the Rosslyn Metro station, theoretically the most ideal place for Arlington’s highest densities, is an underused collection of fast food joints and empty concrete “parks”. Arlington officials, ever at the forefront of Smart Growth planning, have been trying to kill two birds with one stone and develop that block with a skyline-defining landmark tower. At first the Federal Aviation Administration nixed the idea, noting air approaches to National Airport, but two-years and a lot of negotiation later, a new proposal is in the wings, and this time it seems almost assured of approval.
Baring further changes, the region’s new tallest skyscraper will be a 388′ tall office building, but sitting at a relatively high elevation, it will appear to be 470′ feet above the Potomac River – nearly 100 feet higher than any other building in Rosslyn. Except, that is, its residential twin, which will be 342′ tall, or 424′ above water level. The buildings will be clad in reflective blue glass and have a unique curvilinear design. The taller building will include a public observation deck on the 29th floor, near the top of the building. Finally, the plan includes a new “central square” for Rosslyn, situated between the two new skyscrapers and directly across North Moore Street from the entrance to Rosslyn Metro.
This is exciting stuff, and while BeyondDC thinks the plaza design could be improved quite a bit, given the constraints of the site we’re pretty happy with the skyscraper design. Whether you favor tall buildings or not, it will add an icon to Rosslyn’s skyline.
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