Saint Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion
DC Department of General Services
Washington, DC

16,300 SF • 1,515 SQ M • 180-ACRE CAMPUS

Located in the District of Columbia’s historic Congress Heights neighborhood, Saint Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion is a 16,300 sf open-air structure providing a venue for casual dining, a farmers’ market and other community, cultural and arts events. the newly developed pavilion is the first step in cultivating the city’s master plan vision to transform the 180-acre Saint Elizabeths East campus — once the site of a Civil War era mental health institution — into a vibrant mixed-use development.

Spread over a two-acre plot of the campus, the project creates an instantly iconic, visible, and welcoming view into the site, particularly from the vantage points that reflect the existing and anticipated movements of people from different areas of the neighborhood. Forming a dramatic backdrop to the plaza, the main area of the pavilion is a 24-foot high space filled with modular booths convenient to where food trucks access the site.

Selected in a highly publicized design competition, the pavilion focuses on the seamless integration of the structure and the land. This “of the land” approach takes its cues from the architectural program which is centered on the provision of fresh produce, locally made crafts and a variety of food truck vendors to serve the local population. The pavilion also employs several sustainable strategies, including rainwater harvesting; drought-resistant plantings; roof plantings to reduce demand on mechanical systems in the enclosed portion; and the mechanical systems that rely heavily on natural ventilation.

The ground level encourages easy connections from the most prominent edges of the site, creating three distinct zones, and connecting the urban face of the project to the more pastoral campus setting. The roof level access allows pedestrians to gain a new perspective on the neighborhood by moving seamlessly up and across the site along the universally accessible roof level. This elevated landscape includes an intensive green roof where multiple activities can occur, including afternoon concerts and community events.

(Photography by Eric Taylor)