[DOCID:172481tx-6]
From the Government Manual Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Page 43-44]
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone, 202-228-1793
Architect of the Capitol Alan M. Hantman
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The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the care and maintenance
of the U.S. Capitol and nearby buildings and grounds while implementing
reconstruction and landscape improvement projects according to the
original intent of the Capitol's designers.
The Architect of the Capitol is charged with operating and maintaining
the buildings of the Capitol committed to his care by Congress.
Permanent authority for these functions was established by the act of
August 15, 1876 (40 U.S.C. 162, 163). The Architect's duties include the
mechanical and structural maintenance of the Capitol, the conservation
and care of works of art in the building, the upkeep and improvement of
the Capitol grounds, and the arrangement of inaugural and other
ceremonies held in the building or on the grounds. Legislation is
enacted from time to time providing for additional buildings and grounds
to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol.
In addition to the Capitol, the Architect is responsible for the
upkeep of all of the congressional office buildings, the Library of
Congress buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court building, the Thurgood
Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, the Capitol Power Plant, the
Capitol Police headquarters, and the Robert A. Taft Memorial. The
Architect performs his duties in connection with the Senate side of the
Capitol, the Senate office buildings, and the operation of the Senate
restaurants subject to the approval of the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration. In matters of general policy in connection with the
House office buildings and the Capitol Power Plant, his activities are
subject to the approval and direction of the House Office Building
Commission. The Architect is under the direction of the Speaker in
matters concerning the House side of the Capitol. Also, the Architect of
the Capitol serves as the Acting Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden
under the Joint Committee on the Library.
Until 1989, the position of Architect of the Capitol was filled by
Presidential appointment for an indefinite term. Legislation enacted in
1989 provided that the Architect be appointed by the President for a 10-
year term, with the advice and consent of the Senate, from a list of 3
candidates recommended by a congressional commission. Upon confirmation
by the Senate, the Architect becomes an official of the legislative
branch as an officer and agent of Congress and is eligible for
reappointment after completion of his term.
The Architect, whose original duties were limited to designing and
supervising the construction of the Capitol, has assumed additional
responsibilities for activities that have been assigned to the office by
Congress. Today, in light of the widespread activities under the
jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol, the administrative
function challenges the architectural and engineering functions of the
office.
[[Page 44]]
Projects carried out by the Architect of the Capitol in recent years
include renovation and restoration of the Statue of Freedom, the
Terrace, Courtyards, Rotunda, and other areas in the Capitol, and the
Library of Congress; procurement and installation of television and
broadcasting facilities for the House and Senate chambers and hearing
rooms; improvements to building utility, energy-management, and security
systems; installation of a Senate subway system; development and
implementation of the Legislative Branch Telecommunications Network;
plans for the complete renovation of the U.S. Botanic Garden
Conservatory; the design of a National Garden adjacent to the
Conservatory; and plans for a new Capitol Visitor Center. The Architect
also oversaw the design and construction of the Thurgood Marshall
Federal Judiciary Building for the U.S. courts. Ongoing conservation/
renovation projects include the Brumidi corridors in the Capitol and a
substantial barrier-removal program throughout the Capitol complex.
The Architect of the Capitol also serves as a member of numerous
governing or advisory bodies, including: Capitol Police Board, Capitol
Guide Board, House of Representatives Page Board, District of Columbia
Zoning Commission, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, National
Capital Memorial Commission, Art Advisory Committee to the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the National Institute for
Conservation of Cultural Property. The Architect is an ex officio member
of the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission and the Commission on the
Bicentennial of the U.S. Capitol. In addition, he serves as the
Coordinator of Civil Defense for the Capitol complex.
For further information, contact the Office of the Architect of the
Capitol, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20515. Phone, 202-228-
1793.
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