National Gallery

exhibits the
cutting edge of contemporary
architectural concrete

East Building is a triangle, a faceted glass roof, ties these primary elements
together. The main gallery triangle is composed of three
constructor’s dream come true towers, one at each point of the triangle, connected by
bridges of galleries. Major steel trusses and long span
BY R. W. STEIGER post-tensioned concrete members are an important part
DESIGNER of the total scheme, which consists of five levels begin-
TRI-MEDIA STUDIOS ning at the underground concourse. At ground level is
the great central court with soaring skylight, a triangle
225 feet long on two sides and 150 feet on the other. At
the third or mezzanine level, a 70-foot post-tensioned

A must on everyone’s list of places to experience in

the nation’s capital, the blade-sharp triangular
structure of the East Building of the National Gallery of
architectural concrete bridge spans the courtyard. And
on the fourth level a similar, longer bridge crossing the
courtyard leads to a terrace cafe´. The bridges offer the
Art has become world famous since its dedication in the only access to the study center above ground level. A
spring of 1978. So much has been written about this tower gallery reached by precast concrete spiral stairway
project that we shall focus on some construction details is at the fifth level.
most pertinent for World of Concrete ‘84 re g i s t ra n t s
who may have the opportunity to visit the building this
year.

Design concept and plan

The two main structures which make up the East
Building were built on an awkwardly shaped trapezoidal
site bounded by the Mall, Pennsylvania Avenue, and
Fourth Street. Architect I. M. Pei divided the area into
two triangular components which he linked to the orig-
inal neoclassical museum with a 4-acre plaza at ground
level. The granite-paved plaza serves as the roof for an
all-weather underground concourse between the two
buildings. Here there are shops, lounge, and the 700-seat
cafe´/buffet where a below-grade window offers a spec-
tacular diversion—a waterfall cascading over a 37-foot-
wide concrete ramp from the fountain outdoors in the Figure 1. Plan view of the trapezoidal site and the two
plaza above. triangular building components which comprise the East
The smaller of the two buildings, a right triangle, Building. Central triangle represents the central court and
houses the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. gigantic space frame skylight which unites the two parts.
The study center has eight levels of offices and six levels Total enclosed area of the building is 450,000 square feet.
of library space, all open to a central atrium. The larger A granite cobblestone plaza (left) links the structure to the
isosceles triangle (Figure 1) is the exhibition area. A third original gallery building to the west.
 Figure 2. On a gray day, marble
exterior of the East Building
may seem stark. This view from
the steps of the older West
Building shows the connecting
plaza and pyramid-shaped
skylights above the
underground concourse.
Concrete and brick core walls 12 inches thick serve as
backup for marble which faces much of the wall area,
while architectural concrete is concentrated in deeply
coffered ceilings and the spectacular long-span beams.
The concrete is highly visible, as for example in the two
longest beams each extending about 200 feet and form-
ing soffits on both the north and south sides of the build-
ing. Yet many viewers fail to identify it as concrete, so ex-
ceptional are the soft pink color and subtle texture.
Although the East Building is unique in concept and
provides a modern foil to the original neoclassical
gallery, it may at first seem forbiddingly stark as one
views the sheer marble exterior (Figure 2). Howe ve r,
once it has been seen from every angle and in va ri e d
lighting, it no longer seems threatening, but takes on
the character of a giant sculpture—art designed to house
art. This perception is totally confirmed once one has
toured its spaces and galleries.
Figure 3. Looking upward into the recesses of the coffered
ceiling, cast in softly pink concrete, on can see subtle
impressions of the form boards. This detail appears
throughout the gallery, indoors and out, since these acute
angles are part of the basic grid modules for the building.
We have been to the East Building three times and
come away with a different impression each time, rang-
ing from absorption, to excitement, to real profound ap-
preciation. We saw it first in 1975 during construction.
Our tour was conducted by the project manager James
W. Mann, whose thorough planning was so important
to quality of the construction. He took such precautions
as staging a dry run before the major pours, with all
workmen participating and following the exact proce-
dures that would be used when the concrete arri ve d .
Each worker knew exactly what was expected. They were
required to clean their shoes before entering formed ar-
eas, where smoking was prohibited. Concrete spillage on
forms was prevented by placing tarpaulins under the
runways. Even the water cooler was moved to pre ve n t
cups from ending up in the concrete. Such attention to
detail in these and many other ways shows why the end
result is so outstanding.
Formwork details and ceiling placement
Because the concrete would not be bushhammered or
altered in any way after forms were stripped, cabinet lev-
el craftsmanship and careful design of the forms were
paramount. The form linings were made of select quali-
ty edge grain Douglas fir flooring boards, with tongue-
and-groove sides and ends. Careful layout of the lining
boards assured the random joint appearance which was
important in the subtle board marks which would re-
main on the concrete.
All of the form liner boards were soaked in a penetrat-
ing clear sealer before use. This controlled shrinkage and
warping. Whenever possible, joints were placed at the
edge of a board. They were all gasketed with compress-
ible foam material to prevent leakage. Joints in the
boards themselves were mitered and splined. Although
diamond-shaped columns in the study center were
placed ahead of the exposed ceiling, ceiling form liner
boards were so carefully aligned with board marks on
 tion, the marble facing was lightly sandblasted to modi-
fy grain and color va ri a t i o n s, thus enhancing its com-
patibility with the exposed concrete (Figures 4 and 5).
As the architect explained the concrete, “The introduc-
tion of a small percentage of marble fines in the archi-
tectural concrete to blend with the white calcite sand is
to achieve just enough tint to relate the concrete to the
adjacent marble walls; at the same time, the small
amount used was to assure a sufficient contrast between
marble and concrete.”
Indeed the concrete quality is so good that it may not
be perceived as concrete at all. Howe ve r, when one sits
in the lounge on the third level beneath a soffit of the
warm, pinkish tone concrete, narrow board marks and a
subtle longitudinal striping can be seen. One also notes
the spotlights crisply recessed in the cast-in-place con-
c re t e. Minor transverse hairline cracks are largely ob-
scured by the linear board marks.
The concrete supplier developed a mix that satisfied
Figure 4. Main floor gallery view, showing mezzanine bridge, all specifications for color, 4000-psi compressive
and exposed concrete in the coffered ceiling. strength, workability, and the need for a delayed initial
set. The 3- to 4-inch slump gave sufficient workability to
overcome the difficult placement caused by dense con-
centrations of reinforcing steel and the sharp angles and
the columns that the lines appear uninterrupted, flow- blade-like sections of the forms.
ing up and across the ceiling as though the columns and
ceiling had been placed monolithically.
Many of the exposed ceiling areas are made up of tri-
angular 15x15x10-foot coffers, 4 feet deep (Figure 3). The
triangular voids taper to 71⁄2 x 71⁄2 x 5 feet, and the work
was further complicated by seven layers of #18 reinforc-
ing bars. Placing and properly consolidating the con-
crete, as well as stripping and reusing the forms, seemed
to present insurmountable problems. A full-scale mock-
up showed that it could be done, and helped perfect the
techniques.
Full length flooring boards were used to form the sides
of the coffer, with hairline joints in the corners. Special
vibrators were designed and built with rigid shafts and
only a 3-inch flexible joint. Training sessions were held
to instruct vibrator teams to consolidate concrete with-
out creating honeycomb or damaging the forms. In ad-
dition to internal vibration and spading, the forms were
pounded on the outside to release air bubbles. This was
done to prevent loosening of the form joints, which
might have occurred had external vibrators been used.

Marble and architectural concrete

The original National Gallery of Art was built in the
late 1930s with a Tennessee marble facade. The very
same quarries were chosen to supply marble for the East
Building so that color and textural continuity could be
established between the two buildings.
Harmonizing the color of the concrete with va ri o u s Figure 5. Venus enhanced. Mellow bronze of the statue by
tones of white, pink, and darker shades found in the Aristide Maillol is admirably showcased by concrete and
marble presented a problem. The solution invo l ve d marble. Note intersection of cast concrete beam with
adding marble dust to the white sand and coarse pink marble facing. Subtle color difference was planned by the
aggregate used in the white-cement concrete. In addi- architect to differentiate materials.

MONUMENTAL CONCRETE: FORMULA FOR
THE NATIONAL GALLERY’S SUCCESS
The following amounts of ingredients per cubic yard
of concrete were used in the architectural mix:
• White cement, Type I 635 pounds
• Calcite sand fine aggregate 1085 pounds
• Dark cedar marble screenings
(fine aggregate) 335 pounds
• Medford stone coarse aggregate
(size No. 67) 1580 pounds
• Water 286 pounds
• Air entraining agent 4.6 ounces
• Retarder and water reducer 19 ounces
When air temperatures were below 55° F, the re-
tarder was omitted and 9 ounces of water reducer
was used.
As it turned out, strengths averaged 5000 to 6000 psi at
7 days and close to 7000 psi at 28 days. The builder de-
cided not to modify the mix, even though a cement re-
duction could have achieved some economy. Over
12,000 cubic yards of this concrete was placed without
honeycomb. The final treatment was a scrubbing with a
weak acid solution to remove grime and stains that un-
avoidably occurred.
Conclusions
The East Building was given to the American people
by Paul Mellon, son of Andrew Mellon, donor of the orig-
inal gallery building. Funding of $94.4 million enabled
an uncompromising pursuit of excellence in workman-
ship, materials, and appointments. This level of excel-
lence—and cost—is rare in our construction experience.
Nonetheless, many of the good practices could be ap-
plied on lesser jobs with lower budgets. Here are a few
of the ideas worth considering:
• Each design feature was carefully examined from
s t ru c t u ral and practical construction viewpoints as
well as from the aesthetic vantage point.
• Advance planning using critical path method allowed
locating construction joints to the satisfaction of
builder, structural engineer, and architect.
• A detailed model of the complex building was devel-
oped for pre-bid conferences and used repeatedly be-
PUBLICATION #C840105
Copyright © 1984, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved
fore each new phase of the work so that laborers and
supervisors alike could better understand their goals.
• The crews were told that they had been chosen be-
cause of their exceptional ability, and that their repu-
tation would rest on the results of their efforts.
• Workers were complimented when they worked well.
One laborer commented, “I’ve been working for 30
years, and this is the first time anyone said I did good!”
• Recommended practices of the American Co n c re t e
Institute were carefully followed.
• Great care was taken to keep the job clean, well orga-
nized, and efficiently running.
• Only subcontractors with the highest reputation were
invited to bid.
Superior craftsmanship awards were presented to 23
individuals and teams by the Washington Building Con-
g re s s. That was nearly four times the number received
on any other project during the past 25 years.
Most other work may seem mundane by comparison
with this job. Yet the East Building of the National Gallery
remains for all to see as an example to constructors, en-
gineers, architects, and those on the job who make it
happen. The right attitude and adherence to high stan-
dards—giving one’s best performance up to the limits of
individual abilities and situations—this is a goal we
should all work for.
References
1. Mann, James W., “An Adventure in Architectural Con-
crete,” Concrete International, Volume 1, Number 8, August
1979, pages 18-24.
2. Bates, Robert, “I. M. Pei Speaks Out for Concrete,” Con-
crete International, Volume 1, Number 8, August 1979,
pages 25-27.
3. McLanathan, Richard, National Gallery of Art, East Build-
ing, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1978.
4. von Eckhardt, Wolf, “The Gallery’s Soaring Symphony of
Light and Marble,” Washington Post, May 7, 1978.
5. Hughes, Robert, “The Nation’s New Grand Showcase,”
Time, May 8, 1978.
Credits
Architect: I. M. Pei and Partners, New York, New York
Structural engineer: Weiskopf and Pickworth, New York,
New York
Builder: Charles H. Tompkins Company, Washington, DC
Concrete producer: Super Concrete Company, Washington,
DC