World Bank Building Monographs

Rarely does an organisation of worldwide importance acquire a home that matches its aspirations. This book explores the design and engineering ideas, large and small, that make the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC outstanding. For owners and architects who aspire to design excellence, a study of this building is an exploration worth making. This building is a truly international corporate centre. It was designed to accommodate the current and future needs of a multinational global financial institution.The winning design for the redevelopment of the World Bank headquarters site, by Kohn Pedersen Fox with a slate of distinguished collaborators, accommodates a vast and varied program of working spaces within a limited volume, while offering throughout a work environment of exceptional quality. It presents to the world an image that is distinguished, yet blessedly free of monumentality or material excess.In the design stage, the scheme was widely praised and won a coveted P/A Awards Citation. The completed building won the Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects -- a rare dual achievement.The building had to meet design standards more rigid than those generally imposed in the United States. Large floor areas were ruled out, with a strict gradation of office spaces by size and location corresponding to the occupant