    [United States Government Manual]
    [May 30, 1997]
    [Pages 43-44]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    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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