The Kennedy-Warren Apartment building has many unusual and interesting “Art Deco” architectural features which are characterized by the “Aztec Art Deco” style.

The Art Deco Movement began in Paris in 1925 at The Exposition International des Arts Decoratifs and Industriels Modernes, which was organized by a group of French artists to demonstrate the leading position of French decorative art internationally. The Art Deco movement was influenced by several other avant-garde movements of the early 20th century, including the Art Nouveau style, as well as the Bauhaus, Neoclassical, Constructivism, Fauvism, Modernism, and even Cubism. The actual term, “Art Deco” was not used however, until the 1970’s, when the art historian Bevis Hillier created and popularized the term in his book, Art Deco of the 20’s and 30’s to describe all the different art styles and movements of the time period from 1925-1939. ¹

Primarily decorative in purpose, Art Deco was distinguished by the use of bright colors, layered geometric shapes, and sinuous forms. In particular, the Art Deco features found in the Kennedy-Warren were inspired by the geometric shapes and designs of other cultures, such as those of ancient Aztec Mexico, Egypt, and Classical Greece. They were considered stylish, elegant and modern for the times. The Kennedy-Warren is recognized as one of the finest examples of Art Deco construction in Washington, D.C., as well as in the country. It is believed that the Chrysler building in New York may have been an inspiration for some of the Art Deco features of the Kennedy-Warren, as it was built a year or so before. This section of the website contains information and details about the architectural features and historical facts of the building.

The Kennedy-Warren was designed between 1930-1931 by the architect, Joseph Younger, with Alexander H. Sonnemann as a supervising architect for a 1935 edition. It opened with 317 rental apartments in 1931. The plans for the building called for a second wing which would be on the opposite side of the courtyard. This wing was never built due to the Great Depression, but was a dream of the original owners. In 2002, the B. F. Saul Company – who had acquired the building after the original owners and builders, Edgar S. Kennedy and Monroe Warren, Sr. fell into sudden bankruptcy in 1931 – decided they would revive the architectural plans, and the construction of a new, “South Wing” was begun by the Hartman-Cox Architects based upon these plans. The new wing was built to face the front courtyard on the opposite side to the north wing, which is now known as the “Historic Wing.” The original architectural plans and drawings that the B.F. Saul Company had were incomplete, and Hartman-Cox had to make updated drawings with detailed measurements; however, the new plans followed Joseph Younger's original style and since it has been completed, the South Wing looks very much like it was meant to. Hartman-Cox also received architectural awards and recognition for their construction. ²

Hartman-Cox used measurements from the Historic Wing’s units to create floorplans and similar features in the new wing, with the addition of extravagant modern upgrades, such as state-of-the-art kitchens. The exterior of the South Wing was made as an identical match to the original building, complete with castings of the decorative stonework found on the front façade of the Historic Wing, and brick that was specially mixed to match the blend in both color and variation of the original wing’s brick. The original decorative stonework on the Kennedy-Warren’s Historic Wing was produced by the Edmonds Art Stone Company of Washington, D.C. The Kennedy-Warren was also the first building in Washington to use aluminum castings on both the exterior and the interior. Some of these castings are featured in rows of square-shaped, decorative spandrels that appear on the outside of the center tower (and on both of the wings), marking each floor of the building’s 11 stories. The original decorative spandrels were produced by the Alcoa Aluminum Company. The spandrels were reproduced by the Boose Aluminum Foundry in Pennsylvania for the new wing.

The use of aluminum may also be seen on the front lobby doors and portico (described in more detail below), as well as on the interior lobby center stair railing and balcony (characterized by a bold, zig-zagged, geometric design interspersed with copper flowers). The elevator doors are also very Art Deco in style, and feature a geometric, copper “tree and flower design” inlaid onto a background of black metal.

In 2003, the lobby was further restored to its original Art Deco look, complete with a faux-painted wood paneling that was created to resemble the rare, Prima Vera wood paneling that originally covered the 20-foot high walls. The lobby ceiling has an intricate pattern of geometric Greek key designs and sunburst shapes handpainted on its beams, also restored to their original design and colors during the renovation. A dark green and gold rug was specially made for the lobby featuring the Greek key design with a flower-shaped motif that resembles the copper flower shapes found on the stair railing, elsewhere throughout the lobby, and on the outside of the building as well.

Over the years the Kennedy-Warren has been a home to many important figures in Washington. Past residents of the Kennedy-Warren include such famous persons as Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird (prior to his becoming president); Harry Hopkins, a personal advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt; H.R. Haldeman; and the wives of 29 prominent Generals. A black and white photography exhibit in the lobby and adjoining hallways prepared by current resident/author, James Goode, shows pictures of life in early Washington. Goode, who is the author of several well known books on the history of Washington's architecture, including Best Addresses and Capital Losses, is also a contributing historian to the Kennedy-Warren. He is credited with many of the historical facts presented here, which are outlined in more detail in his book Best Addresses, in the chapter devoted to the Kennedy-Warren.

1). Wikipedia, article/history on Art Deco

The front entrance to the Kennedy-Warren features a classic example of the use of aluminum as an Art Deco feature in the form of a bold, rounded marquee trimmed on the top with a geometric, scalloped-edged half-circle design, with pointed spires in between. The marquee is one of the finest examples of the use of aluminum of any Art Deco building in the country, in both its detailing and construction. Above the marquee can be seen a bay window made of stained glass panels, also separated by aluminum spires.

On either side of the front portico are two lobby windows, each with a pair of symmetrical, limestone Aztec eagles facing in opposite directions above them. Centered above each of the eagle motifs is a circular sundial-shaped limestone casting, set into the building’s façade. The eagles appear above each of the two portico wing entrances as well, and are explicity identifiable as features of the Kennedy-Warren.

 

A close-up of the Aztec eagles found above the lobby windows and both side entrance doorways of each of the building’s wings.
(Notice the circular flower motif on top of the wings.)

 

The very top center tower of the building features two limestone griffins beneath a pointed, copper peak.

 

The South Wing of the building, showing some of the aluminum spandrels
that line the wing veritcally, above the side entrance portico.

 

Close-up details of one of the aluminum spandrels which decorate the front of the building and its two wings, in vertical columns, marking each floor of the 11 stories. (The spandrels were recreated by the Boose Aluminum Foundry for the new wing.)

 

Fountain on the front plaza - created with the addition of the South Wing.

Detail of flower motif similar to that of the original flower motifs found on the stonework of the building, (inlcuding the Aztec eagles), as well as in the interior lobby.

 

The two front wings of the building feature a frieze of elephants carved
into the cement above alcoves featuring another sunburst-style motif.

Close-up of elephant detail.

 

Close-up of the stained glass bay window above the portico, on the outside, and an Egyptian motif featured above the front entranceway, in the lobby.

 

A photo of the main lobby showing both the handpainted ceiling beams and the faux-painted wood paneling on the 20-foot high walls. The chandelier is also a replica of the original that decorated the lobby during the 1930’s.

 

Close-up of the ceiling beams showing the colorful blue, green and gold sunburst motif in between each one, and the Greek key design featured on the bottom panels of the beams.

 

Geometric zig-zagged design of the aluminum and copper stairwell
in the center of the lobby.

 

The flower motif found on the aluminum stairwell. The flower is also repeated in the lobby rug – see lower left corner of the picture.

 

A sitting room off of the lobby, showing Greek panels with scenes from the frieze of The Acropolis, at the top of each post.

Close-up of a Greek panel.

 

A hallway entrance from the main lobby shows the marble and faux-wood paneling, as well as the painted Greek key design in the marble.

 

This greek key design was etched into the green marble of the entranceways from the lobby to the hallways of each wing. During the renovation, the designs were highlighted with gold leaf paint.

 

 

One of the original main lobby elevator doors, with its inlaid copper and aluminum in the “tree and flower design,” against a background of black metal.

 

The original Letter Box in the lobby.

 

An example of an Art Deco doorknocker on the apartment doors
found only in the Historic wing.

 

The lobby of the South Wing has a more modern look with less detail on the ceiling beams. It is also smaller, but maintains the same height as the original lobby, with faux-paneled walls and green marble posts, all still in keeping with the original Art Deco style. There is a silver/aluminum trim with a circular motif around the base of the ceiling, resembling some of the trim of the original lobby.

 

Another view of the new lobby showing the tall window drapes and a
photograph from the black and white photography exhibit that shows a 1930’s polo match on the lawn of the Washington monument.

 

Another view of the South Wing lobby.

 

More can be read about the renovation of the Kennedy-Warren, at the webiste, www.Traditional-bulding.com, under the 2006 Palladio Awards for multi-unit construction:

http://www.traditional-building.com/palladio/pw2006p5.htm