The OMNI Shoreham Hotel, which has been the site of 22 U.S. Presidential inaugural celebrations and more Washington, D.C. history, recently was renovated with over 3,100 modern energy efficient Crystal Window & Door Systems products.
The manufacturer supplied the project with 3,016 replacement windows and 141 sliding glass and swing terrace doors. The OMNI Shoreham Hotel is an eight-story, 92-year-old complex located just off Connecticut Avenue at 2500 Calvert Street NW, in Washington, D.C. The OMNI Shoreham Hotel is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and as such, the Crystal products used for the renovation underwent a historic approval process.
What Crystal says
“Bringing modern fenestration to an historic hotel like the OMNI Shoreham is a testament to Crystal’s robust energy efficient product line,” says Steve Chen, president, Crystal Windows. “We’ve helped restore many historic and landmark buildings around the nation, but the OMNI Shoreham is by far one of the largest and grandest. We are quite proud to have been part of the project.”
Crystal products used in this project
The majority of the Crystal windows used on the project were the aluminum Series 2100 fixed picture windows. Most of these windows utilized an internal horizontal T-mullion within the window’s master frame and two insulated glass lites to replicate the appearance of the building’s original double-hung windows. In some instances, windows were horizontally combined using mullions. Also a small number of Crystal Series 2000A double-hung windows were installed in select locations.
In some larger and taller (up to 91-inches) opening locations, the more robust Crystal Series 5100 aluminum fixed picture window was specified. This 3-¼-inch jamb window uses heavy-duty extrusions and achieves an AAMA AW-PG100 rating.
Providing guest room and public area access to the OMNI Shoreham Hotel’s balconies and terraces, Crystal supplied 141 of its aluminum frame Series 1240 sliding glass doors and Series 1450 out-swing terrace doors. The 2-lite Series 1240 sliding door features a 4-9∕16-inch jamb thermally broken aluminum frame, 1-inch insulated glass units, quad tandem ball bearing rollers, and heavy-duty handles. The door is rated LC-PG45/SGD-C40.
The heavy-duty Crystal Series 1450 terrace doors were specified in both the standard version and ADA-compliant versions. Also, many of the Crystal out-swing terrace doors were outfitted with compatible Series 2100 fixed glass sidelight windows. The aluminum Crystal Series 1450 terrace door has a 3-¼-inch frame, 1-inch glazing pocket, and an outstanding AW-PG75 structural rating. The Series 1450 also features a multi-point locking system and an advanced polyamide insulated strut thermal break system for greater energy efficiency.
For guest rooms set aside for those with disabilities and mobility challenges, the Crystal 1450D out-swing terrace door was specified. This door’s independently-tested low ½-inch ADA-compliant threshold allows easy access, yet is weather-resistant and has a water-resistance rating of 10 pounds per square foot. One of the few elite swing terrace doors offering a certified laboratory water-tested ADA low sill, the door also achieves an excellent AW-PG50 structural rating.
Modern insulated glass units provided the Crystal windows and doors used for the OMNI Shoreham Hotel renovation project with energy efficiency. Depending on the specific product, either ⅞-inch or one-inch IGUs were used, and all dual-pane IGUs were specified with Vitro Solarban 60 low-e coated glass and Argon gas filling for enhanced thermal performance. Where appropriate, or code required, obscured or tempered glass was used.
All the Crystal window and door products were finished in a durable AAMA 2604 sustainable bronze powder coat paint. To facilitate installation, Crystal supplied a variety of H-mullions, head expanders, as well as anchor clip and snap trim accessories.
The Shoreham Hotel, since 1983, has been owned and operated by the OMNI Hotel and Resorts Group headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The fenestration contractor for the project was Caffes-Steel of Beltsville, Maryland.
History of the hotel
Originally titled the Shoreham Hotel, the facility opened in the fall of 1930. Using a combination of Renaissance Revival and Art Deco architectural design, the building has been termed D.C.’s “Grand Dame” hotel. The OMNI Shoreham Hotel is situated on 11 acres of landscaped grounds in the upscale tree-lined Woodley Park neighborhood. Its numerous wings have 834 guest rooms.
In its early years, the Shoreham Hotel served as an ultra-luxurious residential hotel to both D.C. and international elites. During the 1950s, it transitioned into a high-end resort and convention hotel. The hotel has hosted every U.S. Presidential inaugural ball since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, except for Donald Trump, whose inaugural balls were held elsewhere in Washington, D.C. President Roosevelt had a special suite with enclosed balcony there and both Presidents Truman and Kennedy were considered hotel regulars. Spanning the decades, notable celebrities who have performed in the ballroom or stayed at the hotel include Rudy Vallée, Bob Hope, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin and President Clinton, who played the saxophone at an event there.
