Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-31
BY MAJOR ERNEST GRAVES,
Engineer for the National Press club.

The foundation for the National
Press Building q History structure
being erected on the sites formerly oc-
cupied by the historic old Ebhitt
House and Hooe Buildings at Four
teenth and + streets is nearing
completion.
The contract for the building was
Ssigned I'm December. 1925. At that
Vine only sketchy plans outlining the
structure had been made. With these
plans, the Fuller Construction Com
pany proceeded to engage a wrecking
company to demolish the building. AT
the same time c. w. and George
Rapp, architects for the building, put
q large force of designers and drafts,
men to work in their Chicago office
to rush through the detailed plans,
which were ready when needed.
The record time in which the plans
were completed enabled the builders
70 place contracts for the structural
hteel and mill orders. The structural
steel is now arriving on the scene Of
construction. The design of steel was
particularly intricate because of the
large trusses which span the theater
that will occupy the lower ana IN
terror portion of the structure. They
support an office building above the
theater the latter being so arranged
that no posts will obstruct the view
of the stage.
Terra Gotta on Outside.
Another set of plans, which was
completed in rapid time, was for terra
Gotta The material is to he used
for the face of the building and for
ornamentation for the theater. II has
TO be burned several months before il
can be used. SO the planning must
be done far ahead. The complicated
designs for ornamental terra Gotta
have to be first drawn by a skilled
artist: then molds have to be made
exactly like the drawings. The archi-
tects have completed the designs for
the terra Gotta, which is now being
fabricated.
The mechanical plans. although diff
fikult were completed before schedule
time. Due to the fact that the
tineater and office building are to have
separate heating plants, special lay
out had to he made. The subcOntract
for this work has been awarded to
the American Plumbing and Heating
Company In fact, the foundation for
these boilers is already in The coal
and oil storage facilities are in the
course Of construction. The plant is
to be SO fixed that either coal or oil
can be burned
The electrical subcontract has been
let and orders are now being placed
for the machinery. There are TO be
numerous pumps and fans in addi-
ton to the lighting. Fans are TO blow
STesh air continuously through the
eater and quarters of the National
Press Club. that will occupy half of
the thirteenth floor and an equal
amount of space on the fourteenth
floor Pumps circulate water which
cools and washes the air The re-
frigeratfng apparatus for keeping the
theater and clubrooms supplied with
cool air is to be run by electricity.
Lighting is Complicated.
o. ". Dauber. mechanical engineer
for the architects. has had difficult
Job in arranging air the complicated
details of the mechanical plans and
specifications His problem was made
more difficult because in the midst of
his work the power company desired
to change the kind of electric current
to be supplied to the building. 1t wa;
shown to the owners that material
saving in operation costs could be
made if the plan was changed to re-
ceive the current that the power
company wanted to 1supply.
Because of the theater and stores
that will be on the first floor, the
kghting for the building will require
Nore power than Is usual in an office
Structure of this size. There are TO
be individual lights in the stores that
require as high as 1000 watts. The
complicated lighting effects in the
theater require much power The es-
timated power for the entire building
is / 500 kilowatts. All the material
for this power has been ordered, so it
viii he he 3aI m no in tall nH
as the building goes up.
Although the owners have to ar
range for the complete theater install
lation. it ia, to be operated by The
Fox Theaters Corporation, which has
leased the theater for 35 years. The
approval of the lessee has to he OBJ
rained on every detail. In addition.
Ahe requirements of the Building
Bureau have to be ascertained and
compiled with in each case. The
architects have succeeded remarkably
well in all this arranging, so there
has been no delay in the actual con.
truction.
Much Detail Work Needed.
Progress of construction is only the
result of progress Of planning and
negotiating. The negotiating on the
job is far more difficult than the ac-
tual building, and in many cases takes
more time than construction. All the
complicated plastering and other dec
Grating for the theater, has to be
first drawn by the architects and then
submitted to the Fox Theaters
Corporation for approval. The many
Colored lights throughout the theater
and stage are settled upon; musicians
rooms, electricians rooms, etc. in the
basement have received the approval
of the Fox representatives. The
orchestra floor is laid out to receive
the kinds of chairs desired.
The elevator subcontract has been
kreed upon and is about to be
awarded. At first ii was doubtful if
the elevators originally specified would
be good enough and fast enough to
serve a building three stories higher
than originally planned. A special
act of Congress was passed last April,
permitting the National Press Build
ing Corporation to add 80 feet to its
building. This gave more rentable
area to be served, and consequently
more and better elevator service would
he required. It was figured that the
Washington correspondents. who will
make up the great part of the tenants.
would have to go in and out great
deal and that they could not lose