• 5 Fresh New Spaces in Washington, D.C.

    From post-pandemic offices to bold hotels that pay homage to women, our nation’s capital is looking livelier than ever.  

    Aug. 9, 2021
    3 min read

    From post-pandemic offices to bold hotels that pay homage to women, our nation's capital is looking livelier than ever with these recent openings: 

    Hotel Zena

    1155 14th St NW | Washington, D.C. 20005 

    Viceroy Hotel Group recently announced the opening of Hotel Zena, a bold new cultural hub celebrating female empowerment through provocative art, design, and exciting and relevant programming. Dawson Design Associates created an atmosphere of strength and femininity within the 191-room hotel, which features elegant guestrooms and suites, a vibrant cocktail-led lobby lounge, 14th-floor rooftop pool and adjacent private event space. 

    Hamilton Hotel, Suffrage Suite

    1001 14th St NW | Washington, D.C. 20005 

    Hamilton Hotel Washington, D.C. partnered with the Freedom Forum’s Newseum to design a signature suite honoring the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which extended the right to vote to women nationwide in August 1920. The themed “Suffrage Suite” celebrates the centennial with images of historic newspapers, photographs, and stories of changemakers from past and present. Weston, Connecticut-based design firm Terri Jannes Interiors took inspiration from the fashion and colors associated with the suffragists: purple, yellow and white to represent loyalty, hope and purity. The suite features scallops, peacocks, fur and embroidery to represent the clothing worn by suffragists as well as sunflowers, the official flower of the suffrage movement. 

    [Related: Black-and-White Theme Creates a Deluxe Dental Office in Virginia]

    HYL Architecture

    607 14th St NW | Washington, D.C. 20005 

    HYL Architecture recently signed a lease to move its offices to the newly repositioned Westory building, in which the firm will occupy approximately 6,000 square feet on the second floor. HYL is creating a “destination office” that will be a model for the post-COVID work environment. The office will incorporate numerous features for health and wellness, including a designated quiet group workspace with biophilia. In addition, HYL will be implementing an upgrade in technology, to include enhanced presentation capabilities and a Virtual Reality Lab. The firm is expected to move in the fall of 2021. 

    citizenM Hotel

    550 School Street SW | Washington, D.C. 20024 

    citizenM Washington D.C. Capitol will be the Dutch lifestyle and hotel company’s fifth U.S. hotel and the fourth East Coast location, including two in New York and one in Boston. The new vibrantly styled, tech-savvy hotel ascends 12 floors and has 252 guestrooms, seven societyM meeting rooms and a cloudM rooftop bar with an exterior terrace—all designed by concrete Amsterdam and furnished by Vitra

    Anybill

    800 Maine Ave SW #650 | Washington, D.C. 20024 

    For the design of the new offices for Anybill, a leading tech provider of tax payment services, DMG Interiors carried the philosophy of the brand into the design through architectural elements, including glass walls, a green living wall and custom lighting elements. The 9,000-square-foot office, located in the Wharf district, accommodates an open space plan with 55 height-adjustable working stations and nine private offices.  

    Read next: Charleston’s MUSC Hospital Sets New Precedent for Inclusive, Autism-Friendly Healthcare Design

    About the Author

    Robert Nieminen

    Chief Content Director

    Chief Content Director, Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources

    Robert Nieminen is the Chief Content Director of three leading B2B publications serving the commercial architecture and design industries: Architectural Products, BUILDINGS, and interiors+sources. With a career rooted in editorial excellence and a passion for storytelling, Robert oversees a diverse content portfolio that spans award-winning feature articles, strategic podcast programming, and digital media initiatives aimed at empowering design professionals, facility managers, and commercial building stakeholders.

    He is the host of the I Hear Design podcast and curates the Smart Buildings Technology Report, bringing thought leadership to the forefront of innovation in built environments. Robert leads editorial and creative direction for multiple industry award programs—including the Elev8 Design Awards and Product Innovation Awards—and is a recognized voice in sustainability, smart technology integration, and forward-thinking design.

    Known for his sharp editorial vision and data-informed strategies, Robert focuses on audience growth, engagement, and content monetization, leveraging AI tools and SEO-driven insights to future-proof B2B publishing.

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