Over the past 40 years, the space-age Intelsat building has been an object of local fascination, housing a satellite company, a television station, an embassy, and a school, among other things. Now the massive Connecticut Avenue landmark’s next phase is uncertain. Here’s a look at its unusual history.
-
1964
Eleven countries sign a treaty to form a consortium now known as the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, or Intelsat. It will grow to include more than 100 member countries and become the world’s largest commercial satellite-services provider, owning and operating more than 50 satellites.
-
1980
Intelsat announces the firm of Australian architect John Andrews as the winner of a juried competition to design an energy-efficient headquarters with significant views and natural light.
-
1984
The organization moves into the partially completed Intelsat headquarters, located on land owned by the State Department near the Van Ness Metro. The wow-inducing 660,000-square-foot structure is composed of 13 octagonal office pods covered in glass and aluminum, connected by six atria.
-
1988
Local television station WJLA moves into 73,000 square feet of the building, remaining there for 14 years.
-
2001
Intelsat privatizes and becomes the largest tech company in the DC area, with 900 employees.
-
2012
Intelsat sells its building to the 601W Companies, a real-estate firm, then relocates to McLean two years later. The 601W Companies prepares the space for commercial leasing while the underlying 12-acre site remains owned by the State Department. Notable later tenants include the Embassy of Cameroon and the Broadcasters’ Child Development Center.
-
2019
Whittle School & Studios, a controversial for-profit private school, opens in the Intelsat building, with interior renovations overseen by starchitect Renzo Piano. The much-hyped concept doesn’t fly, and the school closes in 2022.
-
2019
The building is designated a historic landmark in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites because of its unique architecture and pioneering, energy-efficient design. But finding tenants for such a quirky space proves difficult, and it mostly sits empty for years.
-
2026
A foreclosure auction had been set for the building in April–but was canceled at the last minute. What will come next? That’s unclear: Finding a viable use for the building remains a challenge.
This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
