Evening star., 1935-11-14
APEX BUILDING
\ TO Be OCCUPIED
! BY TRADE UNIT
Treasury DiscIoses Original
Design for Structure Will
Be Revised.
$685. 900 ALLOTTED
FROM P. w. A. FUNDS
Commission Will Occupy Rocham-
beau Apartments Until Work
Is Completed.

! COlncldent with an announcement
! today that the design for the apex
building to be erected at the tip of
the Federal Triangle where Pennsyl-
vania and Constitution avenues meet
would have to be remodeled, it was
learned that the Federal Trade Com
mission would occupy the entire struc-
ture.
The Treasury Department disclosed
that the original design for the build
ing would be revised, and preliminary
studies already have been started to
determine the changes that will be
necessary before contract for its con-
struction is awarded. The structure
will be erected under a P. W. A.
allotment.
1t had been planned originally to
quarter the Fine Arts Commission, the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission and the local park group
in the new building. These orgshiza-
tions. however. will be assigned space
in the new Interior Department Build
ing. now under construction at
Eighteenth and E streets.
Demaray Announces Plan.
Decision to turn the new Apex
Building over to the Federal Trade
Commission was announced by A. E.
Demaray, associate director of the Ma
tional Parks Service of the Interior
Department, which has charge of
space ALLEGATION for Government
buildings in Washington.
The original design for the Apex
Building was prepared by Bennett
Parsons & Frost. architects of Chi
cago,| several years ago. when it was
intended to have the building accom-
mlodate three or four of the smaller
commissions of the Government.
Now, however, it has been decided
instead to use the building for the
Federal Trade CoRmission, which is
to be ousted from its temporary build
ing at Twenty-first street and Consti-
tuition avenue to make way for the
new Federal Reserve Board Building.
Studies of the plans will be ncees-
sary to accommodate the building
plans to the new tenant-the Federal
Trade Commission. The Treasury
Department will make a careful re-
view Of the plans of Bennett Parsons
and Frost, and it is altogether likely
that some major changes" will have
to be made, at least within the build
ing. before the working drawings can
be put in shape for writing of specifi-
cations so the job can be put on the
market. This will delay actual con-
structon of the building. But there
was no definite indication today as
to how long that delay will be.
The Apex Building, for which P.
W. A. this week allotted S3,665 900 is
part of the original design of the
Federal Triangle, as worked out by
the original Board of Architectural
conSultantS of the Treasury Depart
ment, in cooperation with the Treas
ury Department itself. the Fine Arts
Commission, and others.
While there have been reports that
John Russell Pope, architect of the
imposing Archives Building which
now stands at the eastern end of the
Federal Triangle. was opposed to the
building of the Apex Building, on the
ground that it would cut off the
avenue view of his Archives, spokes-
men for Pope, have denied this re-
peatedly.
They explain that Pope was
member of the board of consultants
which planned the entire triangle, to
include the Apex Building. and that
when he designed the Archives he
did 1t with view to having another
building put on the triangle tip. Had
the Archives been intended for the
spearhead of the triangle, it was
pointed out, Pope would have made
the eastern front of Archives of an
entirely different design. AS it stands
today, it was designed to front the
Apex Building, on the other side of
Seventh street
Many Agencies Mentioned.
Several different agencies have been
assigned tentatively at various times
to the apex site of the Federal Tri-
angle. At one time it was considered
most appropriate to have the United
States Coast Guard there. with. the
symbolism of its ship forming the tip
Of the triangle facing Capitol Hill.
Several other commissions were mem
toned, including the former Public
Buildings Commission, National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
and Fine Arts Commission, all having
to do with construction here in Wash
ington.
The site for the apex building
formerly was filled with business
houses, but was cleared long ago. and
has now been filled, graded and seeded
to grass. It is surrounded by low
wooden fence.
The Federal Trade Commission can
not wait until its new home in the
Apex Is finished, however, to move out
to make way for the Federal Reserve
Board construction. It will move
temporarily to the Rochambeau
Apartments, on Connecticut avenue,
and an adjoining building.
Included in the new Interior De-
partment Building, which is slated to
be completed in December of next
year, provision will be made for an
exhibition hall to be shared by the
Fine Arts Commission and the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
AAC ECuCidA 4IduC SVAiluILoolOll iAdo
taken on additional duties in the last
few years. including work on new Sc
cllrities. Several days ago the division
Of Government space control an
nounced that the commission was be-
ing moved from its present temporary
quarters at Twentieth street and Con-
stitution avenue into the Rochambeau
snd adjoining building. There it will
remain until the supervising archi-
tect's Office of the Treasury Depart
Inent, with the aid of some $500 900
Of p. w. A. funds, granted few days
ago by Secretary Ickes, has the Apex
Hailding ready for occupancy.