Multimedia, data center, acoustics, IT: Shen Milsom & Wilke, Washington, DC
Architects: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, New York City, DBI Architects, Washington, DC
Completion: HQII: Autumn 2005, HQI: ongoing
Size HQII: 650,000 square feet

Shen Milsom & Wilke’s work at the International Monetary Fund’s HQI and HQII buildings includes several projects. HQII work included multimedia design for a large, divisible meeting facility; new lecture halls for the IMF Institute, and classrooms for staff training and development. These classrooms are fully equipped presentation spaces, with video conferencing and simultaneous interpretation.

A new 1,100-seat conference hall, used for the joint World Bank and IMF annual meetings, allows representatives from throughout the world to convene. These meetings require extensive multimedia systems for language interpretation and dissemination of proceedings throughout the world. A simultaneous interpretation system starts with 10 languages but can add additional languages by dynamically connecting the conference hall to lecture rooms, where additional interpretation booths are located.

A parallel digital video system includes cameras in the conference hall that are routed to the simultaneous interpretation booths, multimedia control suites, web streaming and recording apparatus, and overflow connection to the existing HQI building.

The IMF’s data center is in the HQI facility, but HQII includes a 10,000-square foot data center that provides a redundant location for critical data. Shen Milsom & Wilke designed the HQII IT network, the redundant connection requirements to the HQ1 facility next door, and the data center space itself.

While most of the building is private IMF offices, HQII includes a public meeting facility, restaurant, and exhibition gallery. Shen Milsom & Wilke provided acoustic design for these spaces and for the building’s central atrium.

Shen Milsom & Wilke is working in HQI to renovate the boardroom and executive committee room, both built in 1970s. Both have updated presentation and display capability, along with videoconference capability.

HQII won the Washington, D.C., 2006 Building Congress Craftsmanship Award, called the “Star Award for Visual Excellence”.

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