J. Edgar Hoover Building

The J. Edgar Hoover Building is the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., spreading across an entire city block. Its buff-colored concrete facade displays rows of bronze-tinted windows that repeat in regular patterns along the street, giving the structure a heavy, closed appearance.

Construction of the FBI headquarters began in the mid-1960s and took a full decade to complete. The cost nearly doubled from the initial 60 million to 126 million dollars during the building process.

The building bears the name of the first FBI director, who led the agency for nearly five decades and shaped it into a national institution. Its massive concrete form stands today as a built testament to Cold War-era security architecture, when federal agencies constructed inward-facing fortresses.

The building stands directly on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol, and visitors can view it freely from the street. Since public tours are no longer offered, a visit remains limited to observing the exterior facade, which extends over several street sides.

Following the September 11 attacks, all public tours of the FBI headquarters were stopped and have not resumed since. The building itself has been on the list of possible demolitions for years, as it is considered outdated and generates high maintenance costs.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1966

Architects: Charles Murphy

Official opening: September 30, 1975

Architectural style: brutalist architecture

Floors above the ground: 11

GPS coordinates: 38.89528,-77.02500

Latest update: December 12, 2025 22:36