Westbrook Partners and AREP’S Renovation Invigorates 1625 Eye as DC Office Destination with One-of-a-kind Art and Stunning Rooftop Space

(Washington, D.C.–November 18, 2021) Westbrook Partners and American Real Estate Partners (AREP) have completed a $5-million transformation of 1625 Eye Street in Washington, D.C., an inviting business destination now centered by a synergy of wellness, performance, and connectivity. Two bold large-scale art installations bursting with color along with a 14-by-45-foot LED chandelier orient the nine-story atrium lobby around the themes of hospitality, excitement, and warmth. The reimagined rooftop extends the office to the outdoors, offering a vibrant and unique gathering place during and after work.

“The scale and energy of elements of the dynamic artwork, lighting and the reimagined rooftop are emblematic of our ability to create inviting places that support our tenants, and provide environments where people feel innovative and can be at their best.  A critical part of our placemaking is smart design, investments in technology and building systems, and tenant-centric property management that promote health, wellbeing and security,” said Paul Schulman, AREP Principal and Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to the renovation, the expansive lobby was largely a pass through.  Now it is an exciting entry point that celebrates the interplay between art and light and is a welcoming place of wonder, enticing tenants and visitors to come inside.  The design and property teams understood the lobby to present a unique opportunity to telegraph the property’s signature brand to a demanding tenant base.  The careful placement of comfortable seating with custom art creates unique spaces where tenants and visitors can gather to work and socialize. The lobby design reflects contemporary hospitality concepts and transforms what had been an underutilized transitional space between the street and the elevator banks into a distinguished amenity.

The two large-scale art installations flanking each side of the lobby were specifically created by San Francisco-based artist Nicole Mueller, renowned for her ability to fuse color and light to create connections between spaces.  The recipient of the Mark M. Glickman and Lanette M. McClure Award for emerging and innovative artists has created two bold 17’ x 14.5’ acrylic on canvas paintings.  Mueller embraced and understood ownership’s vision for paintings that deliver unique placemaking to enrich the tenant and visitor experience of the building.

“The scale of the paintings is monumental.  I hope that when people are confronted with the work they feel completely immersed, and that the paintings’ color and complexity sparks something in their imagination—that they might inspire and become monuments to a world in transition,” Mueller said. The painting on the left is called “Superbloom,” which is a natural phenomenon of Western landscapes where Mueller lives and where native wildflowers bloom in unison to create an explosion of color across the landscape. They are rare in the sense that ecological conditions have to be just right in order for them to occur.

The painting on the right is called “Supernova,” which is an astrological event–also fleeting–where a sudden acceleration of energy in the universe causes a brilliant star to burst that fades slowly over time.  The two pieces, which represent the earth and the heavens, complement each other.
“These paintings express optimism, creativity, and bravery--all powerful themes that are so relevant to our collective mental state coming out of the pandemic and reinforce ownership’s relentless tenant-centric approach that is designed to make people feel comfortable and secure where they work,” said Schulman.

Other hospitality experience amenities at 1625 Eye Street include an entertainment-ready rooftop terrace with custom art and stunning views of Washington landmarks, expanded conference facilities, and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. Optimized to ensure wellness and security, 1625 Eye Street has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating from the International Well Building Institute and the UL Healthy Building Verification for Indoor Air. In addition, 1625 Eye Street is certified LEED Gold and earned WIREDSCORE Gold rating for digital connectivity.

Affirming AREP’s customer-first philosophy, the property was recently honored by Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) with its prestigious K.E.E.P. Award recognizing the property management team’s excellence in emergency preparation.

Acquired by Westbrook Partners and AREP in 2019, the asset at 1625 Eye Street NW is a trophy office building located one block from the White House in Washington DC’s Central Business District. It was designed by SOM | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 2003.

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