Original Headquarters Building

Designed in the mid-1950s by the New York firm of Harrison and Abramovitz, designers of the United Nations building, the OHB is the fruition of former DCI Allen Dulles' dream of a college campus-like atmosphere in which intelligence officers could work near the policymakers (eight miles outside of downtown Washington) and maintain a secure and secluded environment. The cornerstone of the original building was laid November 3, 1959, and construction was completed in November 1963. The original building consists of 1,400,000 square feet of space and, with the companion New Headquarters Building, sits on 258 acres of land.




CIA Seal

Inlaid in the floor of the main lobby of the Original Headquarters Building is a large granite CIA seal measuring 16 feet across in diameter. This emblem has been the symbol for the Central Intelligence Agency since February 17, 1950, and is comprised of three representative parts: the eagle, the shield and the 16-point compass star. The eagle is our national bird and stands for strength and alertness. The 16-point compass star represents the convergence of intelligence data from around the world at a central point. The shield is the standard symbol of defense and the intelligence we gather for policymakers is used in their decisions about defending our country. Well-known for not only the agency it represents, this seal has appeared in many entertainment and documentary motion pictures.




Route 123 Memorial

Dedicated on May 24, 2002, this memorial, located on the west side of the Route 123 main CIA entrance, is in memory of the two CIA officers shot to death by a terrorist while waiting to enter the Agency main gate on January 25, 1993.

The memorial was designed by two Agency employees and consists of a walkway, a wall and two benches. The walkway leading to the center of the memorial is made of bluestone which is native to the area. The wall is a nine-foot by three-foot Dakota Mahogany Granite wall. On the wall is inscribed:

In Remembrance of Ultimate Dedication to Mission
Shown by Officers of the Central Intelligence Agency
Whose Lives Have Been Taken or
Forever Changed by Events at Home and Abroad.

Dedicato Par Aevum
(Dedicated to Service)
May 2002

On each side of the granite wall are teak benches dedicated to the memories of Frank Darling and
Lansing Bennett, the two officers killed in the attack. Affixed to each bench is a plaque with one of their names inscribed on it.

The grounds are landscaped with juniper ground cover and flower beds. Two Japanese maples, standing on each side of the wall, will one day, form a canopy over the memorial. Accent lighting illuminates the memorial at night.




Headquarters Auditorium

The Headquarters Auditorium, known for its very distinctive dome shape, is one of the first buildings you see when on the compound. Often referred to by employees as "the bubble," the auditorium was part of the original building design in the mid-1950s and is connected to the Original Headquarters Building by an underground tunnel. The largest conference area at the CIA, the auditorium has 7,000 square feet of floor space, seats 470 people and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is equipped with the latest in multi-media equipment, including side and rear lighting that accommodates color television cameras and motion picture filming, and a projection screen that rises from and disappears into the stage floor. The acoustics of the unusually shaped structure are enhanced by large plaster rings on the inside surface of the dome. Distinctive, yet functional, the auditorium is frequently used for conferences, award ceremonies, and addresses to CIA employees.




Memorial Garden

The Memorial Garden is located on a hillside between the Original Headquarters Building and the Auditorium and is one of three memorials on the CIA compound. Where the Office of Strategic Services Memorial and the CIA Memorial Wall honor specific groups in American intelligence history, the garden is a memorial to all deceased intelligence officers and contractors who served their country. Where the other memorials are set in marble within the Original Headquarters walls, this remembrance uses the beauty of nature to honor those who have died. Designed in 1995 by Sheila Brady of landscape architects Oehme, Van Sweden & Associates and dedicated in 1996, the garden is a blend of natural and landscaped plantings amid stone outcroppings from which a cascade of water continuously falls into a large fish pond providing a tranquil and reflective place for Agency employees. A brass plaque set in fieldstone and inscribed with "In remembrance of those whose unheralded efforts served a grateful nation" ensures the fallen will not be forgotten by the living.




Nathan Hale Statue

Located between the Auditorium and the Original Headquarters Building is a statue of   Nathan Hale , the first American executed for spying for his country. One of three sculptures on the grounds, this statue is a replica of the original work created in 1914 for Yale University, Nathan Hale's alma mater, by Bela Lyon Pratt. The Agency's copy of the statue was erected on the grounds in 1973, 200 years after his graduation from Yale. Though there is no known portrait of Nathan Hale, this life-size statue portrays what little written description there is of him. The statue captures the spirit of the moment before his execution, a young man prepared to meet his death for honor and country, hands and feet bound, face resolute, eyes on the horizon, his last words, "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," circling the base around his feet. He stands vigilant guard on the Original Headquarters Building and is a continuing reminder to its inhabitants of the duties and sacrifices of an intelligence officer.




Allen Dulles Bas-Relief

On the north wall of the main lobby is a bas-relief of the fifth Director of Central Intelligence, Allen Dulles. Sculpted by Heinz Warneke and dedicated on March 20, 1968, it honors the longest-serving DCI whose vision of a college campus-like atmosphere in which to do intelligence work resulted in the CIA's present headquarters compound. Mr. Dulles was one of the few Directors who served in the CIA's World War II predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services. The sculpture was a gift to the Agency from several CIA officers.




The CIA Memorial Wall

On the north wall of the Original Headquarters Building lobby, to the right as you enter, is a memorial wall that was commissioned by the CIA Fine Arts Commission in May 1973 and sculpted by Harold Vogel in July 1974. With the simple inscription "IN HONOR OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY," this wall of 83 stars stands as a silent, simple memorial to those CIA officers who made the ultimate sacrifice. The glass-encased Book of Honor below the stars lists the 48 names of officers which can be revealed; while the names of the remaining 35 officers must remain secret, even in death. Framed by the American and the Central Intelligence Agency flags, this memorial immortalizes these anonymous few who served and sacrificed in silence.




The Book of Honor

Originating in 1974 and designed by Harold Vogel, the glass-encased Book of Honor containing 48 names of the 83 honored on the Memorial wall sits on a marble shelf below the Wall. Each name is inscribed using calligraphy on handmade paper with a gold star before each name. Names not revealed are signified by just the gold star. After inscribing, the paper is placed in a black leather book which is hand bound in Moroccan goat skin with a gold embossed CIA seal on its cover.




Office of Strategic Services Memorial

On the south wall of the Original Headquarters Building lobby, directly across from the CIA Memorial Wall, is a memorial to CIA's World War II predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services. In contrast to the CIA Memorial, the OSS Memorial has one star on the wall and a book listing each of the 116 men and women who lost their lives in service in World War II. Sculpted by Larry Ludtke, a statue of Maj. Gen. William J. Donovan, the head of the OSS and the "Father of Modern American Intelligence Gathering," stands in solemn watch to the right of the memorial book. The memorial book sits in a glass-enclosed case on a marble pedestal with the page held open by a black ribbon with an OSS uniform patch affixed to it. The OSS Memorial was dedicated in 1992 on the 50th anniversary of the OSS's establishment. The Donovan statue was dedicated on October 26, 1988, and was commissioned by the late Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey.




George Bush Bust

At the top of the steps in the Original Headquarters Building main lobby is a bust of former DCI and President George Herbert Walker Bush. Commissioned and donated by the late Vincent Melzac, a former director of the Corcoran Gallery, it was sculpted by Marc Mellon shortly after President Bush became vice president in the Reagan Administration. The bust was on display at the Bush residence until Mr. Melzac donated it to the CIA.

President Bush holds the distinction in CIA history of not only heading the agency that produces intelligence products, but later becoming the main consumer of these products as President. To honor his unique role in CIA's history, the Agency compound was renamed on April 26, 1999, by congressional action under the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, "The George Bush Center for Intelligence."




The Cold War Exhibit

Near the Original Headquarters Building main lobby is the Cold War Exhibit. The staff of the Center for the Study of Intelligence, working in collaboration with collector and historian H. Keith Melton, established this exhibit in 1997 as part of the CIA's 50th Anniversary celebration. "The Cold War: Fifty Years of Silent Conflict" exhibit showcases some of the 6,000 clandestine espionage artifacts from the United States, the former Soviet Union, and East Germany, owned by Mr. Melton and which comprise the world's largest collection of spy gear. The Cold War Exhibit is not open to the public for tours.




DCI Portrait Gallery

The DCI Portrait Gallery is located in one of the two main first floor corridors connecting the Original Headquarters Building with the New Headquarters Building. These portraits, painted by various artists personally chosen by each Director of Central Intelligence, depict each of the former directors beginning with Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers and currently ending with John M. Deutch. Each portrait is painted only after the Director completes his tenure. The DCI portrait gallery also includes a portrait of Major General William J. Donovan. While Gen. Donovan did not hold the position of Director of Central Intelligence, he did serve as the Director of the Office of Strategic Services, the World War II-era forerunner of CIA. To learn more about each portrait, click on the smaller images of each one below. To learn more about the men in the portraits, read The Directors and Deputy Directors of Central Intelligence.




Berlin Wall Monument

In developing this monument, the CIA Fine Arts Commission decided on five precepts for its placement: prominence, pedestrian orientation, a sense of the wall as an obstacle, an 'unromantic presentation,' and a measure of contemplation. Located near the southwest entrance to the Original Headquarters Building, its north-south orientation mirrors the Wall's placement in Berlin. The west side of the Wall is covered with original graffiti that reflects the color, hope and optimism of the West itself. In stark contrast, the East side of the wall is plain and devoid of color and life. Prominently placed at a main thoroughfare leading to the building, it confronts employees daily just as it did for nearly three decades the citizens of Berlin. On both sides of the Wall is a bench-height wall where employees can sit and view the three segments and contemplate their history. A bronze plaque near the Berlin Wall reads:

    These three sections of reinforced concrete were removed from the Berlin Wall near Checkpoint Charlie at Potsdamer Platzin November 1989. The monument is oriented as it was in Berlin, with the west side painted with graffiti and the east, whitewashed, with tank barriers placed nearby. It is located in the middle of a path so that it may be confronted directly-just as it was for nearly three decades by the citizens of Berlin.

Dedicated on December 18, 1992, the Berlin Wall Monument stands as a reminder to all of a time that was and that mankind can never allow to happen again.




New Headquarters Building Entrance

Though the Original Headquarters Building was designed in the mid-1950s, there was thought given to possible expansion, and this was worked into the design of the building by allowing room for an additional building. By the early 1980s, need for an additional building and more parking became very evident. Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Associates, designers of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, were chosen to design a building that was functional for the Agency's needs and would blend in with the existing OHB structure. The final design is two, six-story office towers built into a hillside behind the Original Headquarters Building, west of the cafeteria and linked to the OHB building in a seamless blend of the two structures. The main entrance to the New Headquarters Building is on the fourth floor. Inside the entrance, one is greeted by a huge skylight ceiling and, at the end of the entry corridor, a spectacular view of the OHB. The lobby to the OHB still remains the official main entrance to the Agency. Ground was broken for the New Headquarters Building on May 24, 1984, and the building was completed by March 1991.




New Headquarters Building Commemorative Plaque

Construction of this 1,100,000 square foot addition to the Headquarters building began in May 1984. The cornerstone was laid by Vice President George Bush on 1 November 1985. Construction and occupancy of the building was essentially completed in March 1991. The New Headquarters Building provides office space for numerous components and its atrium is a focal point for many functions and displays.




Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey Commemorative Plaque

On the north wall of the New Headquarters Building lobby is a plaque honoring the late Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey. The plaque, showing a three-quarter facial image of the late DCI, is sculpted in green serpentine stone from Buckingham, Virginia. As the Allen Dulles bas-relief honors the DCI responsible for the CIA's current location, this plaque honors the DCI responsible for expanding on the Dulles dream with the design and construction of the New Headquarters Building.




New Headquarters Building Atrium

 The four-story, glass-enclosed atrium of the New Headquarters Building allows Agency employees to enjoy the outside in both good and bad weather. Criss-crossed by two escalators carrying employees up and down between the four floors and with planters providing greenery on each floor, this area between the two towers is where pedestrian traffic between the Original and the New Headquarters Buildings converges, hence a perfect place for exhibiting varied displays of interest to CIA employees.

Suspended from the atrium ceiling are reminders of intelligence history: three one-sixth size models of the historic U2 and A-12 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft and the D-21 drone. The U-2 model was originally built for wind tunnel testing purposes. The U-2 plane, a joint CIA/Air Force project, is now used by NASA for environmental projects, but still is used for some reconnaissance work. The A-12 model was constructed as a display companion for the U-2. The Blackbird is the fastest plane in existence. The D-21 was an unmanned aircraft developed in response to the downing of the U-2 in May 1960 and was launched from a modified A-12 or B-52H bomber. All three models were donated to the CIA by the Lockheed Martin Corporation.




CIA Museum

Housed in the New Headquarters Building, the CIA Museum was established in 1988 to give employees a sense of the unique history of their profession. While intelligence gathering has been going on since time immemorial, this collection focuses on the CIA’s World War II predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services, to the present-day CIA. Personal effects reflecting the career of Maj. Gen. William J. Donovan, head of OSS, as well as numerous examples of OSS tradecraft (much of which was used by CIA after it was established by President Truman in 1947), to items from the Persian Gulf War and the end of the Cold War are featured here. Probably the most secretive museum in the world, the CIA Museum, due to its location on the CIA compound, isn’t open to the public for tours.




New Headquarters Building Courtyard

Keeping with Allen Dulles' vision of a college campus-like atmosphere, the New Headquarters Building courtyard provides a pleasant transition from the modern, glass-enclosed New Headquarters Building to the traditional architecture of the Original Headquarters Building. The landscaped courtyard, with its broad grassy lawn, fish pond and flowering plants and trees is a very popular setting for enjoying lunch, a chat with a colleague, or just a short break in the fresh air. During fair weather months, the courtyard provides an attractive venue for special events.




"Kryptos" Sculpture

Located in the northwest corner of the New Headquarters Building courtyard is a sculpture by artist James Sanborn entitled "Kryptos." Dedicated on November 3, 1990, the theme of this sculpture is "intelligence gathering." "Kryptos" incorporates native American materials such as wood and metal. A piece of petrified wood supports a large S-shaped copper screen that looks like a piece of paper coming out of a computer printer. On the "paper" are inscribed several enigmatic messages, each written in a different code. The sculpture continues to be a source of pleasure and mystery for Agency employees with a few employees taking the challenge to "break the code."




CIA Library

The CIA's library, available to Agency personnel only, contains approximately 125,000 books and subscribes to about 1,700 periodicals. The library maintains three collections--Reference, Circulating, and Historical Intelligence. New material for these collections is selected around current intelligence objectives and priorities. The reference collection includes core research tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, commercial directories, atlases, diplomatic lists, and foreign and domestic phone books. CD-ROMs and extensive commercial database services round out the collection. The circulating collection consists of
monographs, newspapers, and journals. The library also participates in interlibrary loans of circulating items with other government and public libraries. The Historical Intelligence Collection is primarily an open-source library dedicated to the collection, retention, and exploitation of material dealing with the intelligence profession. Currently, there are more than 25,000 books and an extensive collection of press clippings on that subject.




Employee Awards and Events Suite

Opened in spring of 1996, the Employee Awards and Events Suite was designed to pay tribute to the career achievements of CIA employees. Important events in an employee's life such as retirement ceremonies or the presentation of awards or medals are held here. The room accommodates 465 standing guests or 150 seated guests. There is a small stage for presentations and for photographs with CIA and Intelligence Community seals and flags providing the backdrop. A small, private pantry connects the suite to the main Headquarters cafeteria kitchen which offers catering services for events. With its simple, stately elegance, the Awards and Events Suite provides the perfect atmosphere to enhance a memorable occasion. When not in use for awards ceremonies, the suite provides an excellent location for guest speakers and work-related meetings.





 

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Lep post ali nije bas koristan za ovo se vec mnogo dugo zna ne otkriva nam nista novo.
Kako izgleda zgrada Cije nije bitno bas su oni naivni pa da stavljaju slike svog glavnog centra.
Po meni taj centar Cie se nalazi na sasvim drugom mesto od ovih navedenih u javnosti.
To je moje misljenje

ova zgrada je u stvari od papira , samo da zavara strane prolaznike