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Deborah Berke designing interiors at Washington D.C.'s Wardman Tower

Deborah Berke designing interiors at Washington D.C.'s Wardman Tower

The historic Wardman Tower in Washington D.C. is getting an interior update courtesy of Deborah Berke. The New York–based architect has been tapped by JBG Companies to update all of the building’s interior spaces and its 32 private residences. According to JBG Companies, the renovation “will pay tribute to the opulence of mid-century Paris while adding an open and contemporary feel to the spaces.” If it wasn’t obvious, that’s code for: Expensive. As in, these condos will be very expensive—priced between $2 million and $8 million. According to the Washington Post, that could make the Wardman condos “the most expensive units ever to hit Washington.”

“The sites and the views are absolutely spectacular due to the ingenious layout and cruciform shape of the building,” Berke said in a statement. “The gracious, large apartments will not be flamboyantly traditional nor will they be jarringly modern but rather a happy overflow of styles.” When the renovation is completed next year, this high-profile building with its high-profile designer, will likely attract some Washington elites. And that’s nothing new for the Wardman. Since it opened nearly 100 years ago, presidents including Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, and LBJ have rested their historic heads in the building.

While renovations continue on Berke’s interiors in D.C., she has some substantial work underway in New York City. In Lower Manhattan, Berke is designing 700 apartments in a 66-story art deco tower and in Midtown, she is doing the interiors for Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park, which is the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.

You can watch Berke describe her design approach at 432 Park in the video below. Click play and let the jealousy ensue.

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