A Comprehensive Ranking of Every Building in Washington D.C.

I have decided to spend my second and last post rating various buildings I have encountered in Washington instead of adding anything substantive to the blog so here it goes.

The Capitol: 8/10 (1/10 for the 115^th Congress)

            I work here so it certainly gets points for that, along with having a fantastic statue of America’s greatest president, James Garfield. Also points for the time VP Pence introduced himself to a tour group. Points off for the embarrassing number of times I have gotten lost in the basement.

The Supreme Court: 6/10

            I have not been inside so no points there but big points for heavy Greco-Roman architecture and the fact RBG is 85 and still works out.

The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art: 10/10

Perfect score because the building is both modern and expressive but in pretentious way. Also points for the Rothko collection worth more than the GDP of a small country. If you have not been yet, definitely worth the effort this weekend.

The Russian Federation Embassy: 3/10

            I also have not been inside this building either but as I was peering through the gate one time, a car pulled up stared me down, so I am pretty sure I am on some kind of list now. Points because of the cool 1980s architecture but the Kremlin needs to stop poisoning people.

Meridian Park: 9/10

            Okay, this obviously is not a building, but the architecture is really neat and the incredible number of cute pups there at any one time warrants a spot.

Department of State Truman Building: 7/10

The building looks ugly on the outside honestly, but if there is one thing I learned in middle school, it is that what is on the inside that matters. American diplomacy is critical to fostering a respect for human rights and the rule of law abroad so points there and also working for the State Department is my dream job, so I have to throw a few points their way for that.

The National Archives: 1776/10

Finally, I felt it was a proper final submission to include the building containing 4 of the most influential documents in the history of the world (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Magna Carta). Points for the greatness of American values and their effect on the world, and I actually got goosebumps the first time I was in the Rotunda. Also, an immeasurable number of points for the impeccable filmmaking of National Treasure and the high probability Nicolas Cage is living somewhere in the depths of the Archives.

            It has been a pleasure getting to know you all over the semester and I have a feeling every one of us is going to go on to do remarkable things.

Ryan Kurz, WAIPer Spring 2018