Fifty Three Thirty Three Connecticut Ave.
Cantilevered from the main entry of a 300,000 square foot luxury residential tower, 30 minutes from the Whitehouse, this glass soffit floats, suspended below an architecturally exposed stainless steel structure. This canopy is the signature feature of one of DC’s most upscale addresses.
Walters provided Design Assist services to develop, supply and install the stainless steel structure and glazing system.
- Approximately 60,000 pounds of stainless steel plate.
- Approximately 900 square feet of structural glazing.
- Canopy consisted of fabricated plate, tapering stainless steel box beams and columns made up of 1” and 3” thick plate.
- All inside corner welds were post-machined to a crisp inside corner with no trace of fabrication.
The welding process created heat distortion on the structure, which we mitigated with carefully planned weld sequences, and corrected through post-fabrication fixturing. To avoid heavy structural field welds and other finishing issues, we prefabricated the supports as single objects.
In the shop, we welded these 15-foot tall columns to 60-foot long beams, forming massive T-shaped structures. We brought these tees to the site where we erected and prepared them for glazing in a single day.
The glass finish specifications demanded precise levels of translucency, reflectivity and structural performance. Transparency allows the overhead steel structure to show through the glass, while reflectivity allows the glass to be bottom-lit at night; a vital factor for creating the desired ambient lighting along the entrance path and stairs.
