A new landmark is rising at Washington, DC` s Portals Site- the 400-room, luxury Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC. Brennan Beer Gorman Monk / Architects & Interiors (BBGM) of Washington, DC has designed the hotel in the French style while reflecting the city`s iconic Neoclassical architecture. Long awaited, the nine-story luxury hotel, located along Maine Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, is an extension of Maryland Avenue to follow the original 1800` s L` Enfant Plan. The massing and site program for the hotel follows the suggested guidelines of the master plan development for the 10.4-acre Portals site. Construction began earlier this year and the hotel is scheduled to open in spring 2004.

Portal Hotel Site, L.L.C., a joint venture of Infragroup International, Armada Hoffler Construction Co. and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, owns the hotel. Joining hotel architect BBGM on the project team are interior designers Hirsch Bedner Associates, structural engineer Abiouness Cross and Bradshaw, Inc.and MEP engineer Engineering Design Group.

`Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC will be the first thing you see coming across the 14th Street Bridge. By orienting the hotel massing to both in-bound traffic and the river, the hotel will emphasize its relationship to the waterfront, and will contribute significantly to the revitalization effort proposed for the waterfront area,` said BBGM Managing Partner Mark Boekenheide, AIA, ASID. A pedestrian bridge will be constructed to connect The Portals site to public parkland and the marina.

Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC has been designed with a signature roofline, tower elements and a layering of façade embellishments in a contemporary fashion. A façade of beige masonry, precast columns and cornices and ornate windows is topped with a copper mansard roof. These elements complement the materials and color palette common to the overall development plan, while reinforcing its residential character among the adjacent corporate and federal office buildings. In addition, strategically placed tower elements, projecting bays and ` portals` along the façade further tie the building into the larger development.

Arrival into the entry rotunda, complete with fountain, will focus the guest experience on a luxurious lounge and landscaped terrace beyond. Planned as a garden oasis, this exterior space has been organized to provide a unique guest experience from a variety of viewpoints as well as a flexible exterior function space for events.

Guest amenities include a destination restaurant designed by Tony Chi & Associates; a 15,000SF state-of-the-art fitness center; indoor pool and luxury spa facilities. Meeting space and an 8,300SF ballroom is on two levels below the hotel lobby floor. Below grade parking for 250 cars is located off of an independent entry from Maine Avenue. Most of the hotel` s 400 guestrooms will feature views of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin or the U.S. Capital.

`With Mandarin Oriental` s global reputation for superior service and amenities, a prominent location and elegant design, the hotel is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the upcoming growth of the city south of the mall,` explains Boekenheide. `It will become an instant landmark for those entering the city and set the standard for luxury hotel development in Washington.`

BBGM is internationally recognized as a leader in hospitality design. Recent projects include the Hay Adams, Washington, DC; Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade, Cleveland, OH; The Georgian Terrace, Atlanta, GA; and The Melrose Hotel, Washington, DC.

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