One of the world's most famous office buildings is the White House in Washington. All his textbooks on American history adorn his photo. The official residence of the President of the United States of America is one of the most important symbols of American statehood. And besides, it is also an ordinary residential building of a person temporarily at the highest state post.
From the history
The White House in Washington was the residence of all presidents except the very first. During the reign of George Washington, it was not yet built. Construction lasted eight years and was completed in 1800, during the reign of the second president, John Adams. The building is made in the best traditions of European classicism. Its architect James Hoban was faced with a rather difficult task. The White House in Washington was supposed to correspond to the status of its inhabitant and at the same time to radically differ from all the palaces of the ruling European monarchies. Outward majesty was to be combined with emphasized democracy. After more than two hundred years, we can confidently say that the architect coped with his task simply brilliantly. In the history of the White House, fires and reconstructions took place, at the beginning of the twentieth century two side wings were attached to the building. But the overall compositional concept remained unchanged.
About architectural features
The White House in Washington has been emphatically deprived of external luxury. The building is arranged quite functionally. With a relatively low height, it consists of six floors. Two of which are deepened into the base and are mainly used for technical support services. Two more floors are allocated for the office of the head of state and for the personal apartments of his family. There are two expressive facades aimed at opposite sides of the world. But the visible image of the White House is most often associated with a semicircular colonnade in the form of a rotunda in the depths of the park. In addition to the famous Oval Office, where the President signs government papers and receives visitors, the East, Green, Blue and Red rooms and the Dining Room for official events should be assigned to historically significant premises.
Park around the White House
The White House in Washington is located on the territory of the Presidential Park with an area of more than seven hectares. For two centuries, the temporary residents of the residence of the President of the United States have been directly involved in the formation of this landscape object. In the western part is the Rose Garden, founded by the wife of Woodrow Wilson. And close to the East Wing is Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. The Presidential Park is designed so that both facades of the White House are clearly visible from outside, from the roadway. On the fence of the park, on both sides, there are always crowds of tourists. They want to be photographed against the background of the facade of the residence of the President of the United States.
Excursion to the White House
The crucial point is the openness of the residence of the head of state to the general public. This is a kind of historical tradition. An excursion to the White House is possible for everyone and is free. The only difficulty is that the number of people who wish to make such a visit far exceeds the opportunity to receive them. Therefore, you should contact the administration in advance and reserve a queue. Visitors have the opportunity to explore all historically significant premises, with the exception of personal apartments of the president’s family. The official White House mailing address in Washington is: 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC, 20500, United States. The president’s residence is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday. At certain time periods, excursions are not possible for technical reasons, so you should familiarize yourself with the possibility of a visit to the White House official website in advance. According to established tradition, applications for excursions are accepted for six months.
The image of the White House in the cinema, culture and media sphere
The White House in Washington is well known even to those who have never been to the United States. Hollywood cinema regularly brings the visual image of this building to the most remote corners of the world. Most often, the White House appears in episodes when authors are required to indicate the seriousness of the circumstances depicted. But in a number of outstanding blockbusters, the President’s residence is at the center of the plot. Suffice it to recall the “Independence Day”, “Clash with the abyss” or “Airplane of the President”. Every day, the White House in Washington appears on television in the news bulletins. In addition, for those who have forgotten what he looks like, just look into the wallet. If there is found a banknote of twenty dollars, then on its back you can find the image of the White House.