A Clear Day in D.C.

"You're standing outside, basically," said Herb Thomas, a lawyer. "It's almost a vertigo experience."

Although translucent towers have risen from New York to Dubai, the emergence of glass edifices in Washington is especially striking because so much of the city is built of stone, making landmarks such as the White House seem not just enduring but impenetrable.

Many of the new offices are in the early stages of construction, such as Lafayette Tower at 17th and H streets NW. But others are complete, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission's complex near Union Station. The Newseum and the Harman Center for the Arts have transparent facades.

The glass boom, however, has prompted caution among some architects and planners. They say that an edifice that dazzles in Manhattan because it soars skyward could be a dud in Washington, where the Building Height Act bars structures from rising more than 130 feet.

The height limit can constrict design, as well as the money that developers can spend on projects. An unadorned glass building, they say, can look as plain as an ice cube, adding an antiseptic touch to the city's streetscape.

"What I fear is that people see the latest hot trend coming in from elsewhere, New York or London, and they think, 'Oh great, D.C. is going to grow up and have more exciting architecture that will translate into a more exciting city,' " said David Maloney, the District's state historic preservation officer. On their own, he said, "glass buildings aren't going to do that."

Don't tell that to lawyers at Dewey & LeBoeuf, who gush over their views and the natural light flooding their offices. Dewey & LeBoeuf leased the space hoping that glass would signal "we're a 21st-century global law firm," Thomas said.

Ralph Ferrara, a firm partner, said he wanted the glass to project Dewey & LeBoeuf's values. "When you tell your client that you believe in transparency, what better moniker is there than you do it yourself?" he said. "I want them to see us. To see through us."

Not to worry. To stand in a corner office is to be on full display, a witness to the seasons, falling rain and flocks of birds flying past. But sunglasses aren't necessary. The offices are equipped with electronic shades for those days when the sun burns too brightly.

Until the 1960s, Washington was dominated by a revival of neoclassical and classical architecture and a hybrid of classical and modernist design. The styles produced icons such as the U.S. Supreme Court and Justice Department buildings.

By the end of the Kennedy administration, though, developers sought freedom from the columns and cornices. They erected spartan buildings, the much-pilloried boxes on K Street, some glasslike, with reflective windows that allowed tenants to see out but blocked anyone from seeing in.

The glass buildings that have emerged in more recent years are a departure because the windows often stretch from the floor to the ceiling and are transparent. The detailing is more stylish: The design for the building at 1999 K St. NW includes a finlike glass border that makes the edifice anything but boxlike.