Editing Federal Triangle (section)

===Design influences===
[[File:Napoleon Apt Louvre Paris 2008oct08.jpg|thumb|[[Louvre Palace]] in [[Paris]] served as an inspiration for the Federal Triangle complex.]]
The design of Federal Triangle was significantly influenced by the [[Louvre]]-[[Tuileries Palace]] complex in [[France]] and the concentration of government buildings in [[Whitehall]] in the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="Worthy" /><ref name="Wentzel" /><ref name="PlannersSuggest" /><ref name="CommissionToday" /> But planning for the complex was also deeply influenced by the [[City Beautiful movement]] and the idea of creating a [[civic center]] to achieve efficiency in administration as well as reinforce the public's perception of government as authoritative and permanent.<ref name="Worthy" /> For the architectural style of the buildings, the Board relied heavily on the McMillan Plan's recommendation of the Neoclassical style.<ref name="Worthy" /> Both the Board and [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Treasury Secretary]] [[Andrew W. Mellon]] rejected the [[Modern architecture|Modern]] style then heavily in vogue.<ref name="Worthy" /> Rather than a mass of tall, imposing buildings, two unifying open spaces (intended for ceremonial use, and under discussion by the Board at least by March 1928) would be utilized.<ref name="Speers" /> The first would be a Circular Plaza (inspired by the [[Place Vendôme]])<ref name="McCormick" /> bisected by 12th Street NW, and which would require the demolition of the [[Old Post Office Pavilion]].<ref name="Speers" /><ref name="Wentzel" /> The second would be a rectangular Grand Plaza on the east side of 14th Street NW between the proposed [[United States Department of Commerce|Department of Commerce]] building (west side of 14th Street NW) and the proposed [[United States Postal Service|Post Office Department]] building (east side of 13th Street NW).<ref name="Speers" /><ref name="Wentzel" /> The construction of the Grand Plaza would have required the demolition of the [[John A. Wilson Building|District Building]].<ref name="Wentzel" />

The Board received significant input from the Commission of Fine Arts (which strongly advocated implementation of the McMillan Plan), National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, and the [[Greater Washington Board of Trade|Washington Board of Trade]].<ref name="Wentzel" /> One guiding principle for the project was that office space for at least 25,000 federal workers must be included.<ref name="Wentzel" /> Another was that, although the buildings would be modern steel frame structures, they would each be the same height and faced with [[limestone]].<ref name="Worthy" /> The National Capital Parks and Planning Commission had the least influence over the overall design of the project, primarily because it had only recently been formed.<ref name="Worthy" />

Although the Board unveiled its proposed design for the project in 1929, the design still lacked a unifying architectural look.<ref name="Cannadine" /> Subsequently, John Russell Pope was asked in September 1929 to bring a more uniform style to the buildings.<ref name="Cannadine" /> Nonetheless, within this more uniform approach, a variety of styles could be used, and were: [[Renaissance architecture|Italian Renaissance]] for the Department of Commerce building, [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] for the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] building, and [[Ionic order|Ionic]] for the Post Office Department.<ref name="Worthy" /> Meanwhile, the Board worked with sculptors, painters, and others to design more than 100 statues, fountains, bronze doors, murals, plaques, and panels (both interior and exterior) throughout the complex.<ref name="Wentzel" /> Modern architectural styles were not completely ignored in the design effort, however; most of the doors and grillwork throughout the Federal Triangle complex were [[Art Deco]] in style.<ref name="Worthy" />