James Monroe Presidential Center

The James Monroe Presidential Center Building Committee commissioned Commonwealth Architects to design a spirited neoclassical edifice in Fredericksburg, Virginia, that would highlight the life of the fifth president of the United States. The conceptual design for the center illustrated a 55,000 square foot museum, library, and theatre building. The entrance lobby featured a dramatic three-story sky lit dome fronted by colossal limestone portico--strong classical elements that reflect President Monroe’s personal enthusiasm for new expressions of neoclassicism in the New Republic.