The Sofitel Washington, D.C. Lafayette Square resides within the Fifteenth Street Financial Historic District, which was once the financial heart of Washington throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. In fact, many of the buildings that originally resided in the area were banks, with some of the earliest founded in the 1820s and 1830s. The greatest of those banks to ever open was a branch of the Second Bank of the United States, inhabiting a structure at the juncture of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue before its closure by President Andrew Jackson in 1836. The firm Corcoran and Riggs occupied the building thereafter and reorganized as the famous Riggs National Bank several decades later. It subsequently constructed a new bank headquarters further up the road in 1898, outfitting it with the finest Classical Revival-style architecture. Other prominent banks opened for business at the height of the Gilded Age, including the National Metropolitan Bank, the First American Bank, American Security Bank, and the National Savings and Trust Company. But most of the financial institutions that had begun operating in the neighborhood were community oriented, since the region’s lack of commercial trade connections had deterred national investment. Nevertheless, those financial institutions spurred Washington’s growth for years, helping it morph into the sprawling international city it is today. They also developed many magnificent structures that showcased some of the best architecture in the whole city. Some of the best architectural minds in the nation worked on the new structures, too, including the likes of Daniel H. Burnham, J.H. de Sibour, John Merven Carrère, and Thomas Hastings. All students of the celebrated École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, they proceeded to erect a number of outstanding skyscrapers created with a combination of Classical Revival and Beaux-Arts-themed architecture.

Yet, the Sofitel Washington, D.C. Lafayette Square is also right next to the illustrious Lafayette Square Historic District. Anchored by the eponymous Lafayette Square, this famous neighborhood is home to such historical landmarks like the Blair House, the Decatur House, and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Lafayette Square is just a short walk from additional iconic locations, too, like the White House, The Ellipse, and the National Mall. In the words of the U.S. Department of the Interior: “Its statues remind visitors of the struggle to achieve a popular form of government, and it has often been a meeting place for those wishing to bring important issues to the immediate attention of the Chief Executive.” The destination first came into existence at the start of the 1800s, when laborers began developing the District of Columbia based on the plans of Pierre Charles L’Enfant. Originally destined to serve as an exclusive pleasure garden called “President’s Park,” Thomas Jefferson eventually authorized its construction as a public park to be enjoyed by everyone. But construction did not fully commence until after the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit in 1824. (American politicians later named the area after the French diplomat, settling on the title “Lafayette Square.”) But the first actual landscaping took place some three decades later, when prominent architect Andrew Jackson Downing sculpted the nucleus of its current appearance. Amazingly, Downing’s layout has remained mostly the same, with just minor alterations transpiring in the 1870s, 1930s, and 1960s. Lafayette Square today is among the city’s most noteworthy destinations, as it hosts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.

Renowned Armenian-American architect Mihran Mesrobian designed the Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square back when it was the Shoreham Building in the late 1920s. Originally a subject of the Ottoman Empire, he had received an education in architecture at the esteemed Ecole des Beaux Arts in Istanbul. Mesrobian’s talents soon earned him admirers across Asia Minor, which eventually brought him to the court of the last Ottoman sultan, Mehmed V. Nevertheless, Mesrobian was drafted into the Ottoman military when World War I erupted in 1914, serving in both the Gallipoli and Caucuses Campaigns. He was eventually captured during the Arab Revolt, although the legendary Lawrence of Arabia secured his release. Upon gaining his freedom, Mesrobian learned of his family’s demise amid the Armenian Genocide. Seeking a new lease on life, Mesrobian immigrated to the United States in 1921, where he earned a position as the lead architect in the construction firm of Harry Wardman. And just like his time in the Ottoman Empire, Mesrobian soon developed a strong reputation throughout Washington for his architectural designs. He subsequently created the appearance for many noteworthy structures across the city, including Sedgwick Gardens, Calvert Manor, the Hays-Adams Hotel, and The Carlton Hotel. But while of Mesrobian’s work in America reflected the emerging trends of the Art Deco design movement, some of his designs—including the Shoreham Building—displayed variations of Renaissance Revival-style principles.

Renaissance Revival-style architecture itself is among the most ubiquitous in America. Sometimes referred to as “Neo-Renaissance,” Renaissance Revival architecture is a group of architecture revival styles that date back to the 19th century. Neither Grecian nor Gothic in their appearance, Renaissance Revival-style architecture drew inspiration from a wide range of structural motifs found throughout Early Modern Western Europe. Architects in France and Italy were the first to embrace the artistic movement, who saw the architectural forms of the European Renaissance as an opportunity to reinvigorate a sense of civic pride throughout their communities. As such, those intellectuals incorporated the colonnades and low-pitched roofs of Renaissance-era buildings, with the characteristics of Mannerist and Baroque-themed architecture. Perhaps the greatest structural component to a Renaissance Revival-style building involved the installation of a grand staircase in a vein similar to those located at the Château de Blois and the Château de Chambord. This particular feature served as a central focal point for the design, often directing guests to a magnificent lobby or exterior courtyard. Yet, the nebulous nature of Renaissance Revival architecture meant that its appearance varied widely across Europe and North America. Many architects left their own mark upon any structure designed with Renaissance Revival-style design aesthetics, including the great Mihran Mesrobian. Historians, thus, often find it difficult to provide a specific definition for the architectural movement.