Walk down K Street and you can’t miss it. Two massive towers, glowing like lanterns at night, cutting into the D.C. skyline with a verticality that feels almost defiant in a city of low-slung blocks. It’s One Franklin Square Washington, and honestly, it’s a bit of an architectural outlier. While most buildings in the District are restricted by the 1910 Height Act to stay relatively short and squat, this one manages to feel like a skyscraper without actually being one.
It’s the tallest commercial building in the city. 210 feet of granite and glass.
But height isn't the only reason people talk about it. If you’ve read a physical newspaper or scrolled through a digital headline from a certain "paper of record" lately, you’re basically looking at the output of this building. This is the headquarters of The Washington Post. They moved here back in 2015, trading their old, storied, and slightly grimy 15th Street office for this gleaming trophy tower.
The Tower That Dodged the "Dull" Label
Washington D.C. is famous for having a lot of boxy, beige buildings. We call them "federal brutalism" or "boring boxes" depending on how much coffee we’ve had. One Franklin Square Washington is different. Completed in 1990 by Hartman-Cox Architects, it was designed to break the mold.
Instead of one giant slab, the architects used a five-part composition. You have two main towers—the ones that look like beacons—and three smaller pavilions. This trick makes the 600,000-square-foot mass feel lighter. It looks like several buildings huddled together.
The material choice matters too. It’s not just concrete. They used flame-cut granite with polished details. When the sun hits it at 4:00 PM, the whole facade takes on this warm, expensive-looking glow. It’s the kind of place that screams "big law" and "global media" before you even step inside the three-story marble lobby.
Who’s actually inside?
It isn't just a monument; it’s a vertical city of power brokers.
- The Washington Post: They occupy a massive chunk of the space—about 300,000 square feet. They just extended their lease in early 2024, which was a huge sigh of relief for the downtown D.C. real estate market.
- Reed Smith & Davis Wright Tremaine: Big-name law firms that need to be near the White House and the courts.
- Mindspace: A high-end coworking provider for those who want the K Street address without the 15-year lease commitment.
Why Location Is Everything Here
Location is a cliché in real estate, but here it’s actually the point. The building sits at 1301 K Street NW. Directly across the street is Franklin Park, the city’s second-largest park. For a long time, the park was... well, let’s just say it was "under-loved."
Then 2021 happened.
The District dropped $20 million on a total renovation of Franklin Park. Now, workers at One Franklin Square Washington look out their floor-to-ceiling windows at a five-acre oasis with a massive fountain, a cafe, and actual green grass that isn't littered with construction debris. It changed the vibe of the entire block. Suddenly, having an office on the "Park Side" became the ultimate status symbol for D.C. executives.
The Perks (Or, Why People Actually Go to the Office)
Let’s be real: since the pandemic, getting people to commute to K Street is a battle. Landlords like Hines (who manage the building) have had to level up.
One Franklin Square isn't just desks. It has a rooftop terrace with views that make you feel like you're in a movie. You can see the Washington Monument, the Capitol dome, and all the way into Virginia. They’ve also added a high-end fitness center and yoga studio.
If you’re hungry, you don’t have to go far. There’s a Compass Coffee and a SoHo Café right there. It’s built for the "live-work-play" lifestyle that every city planner in 2026 is obsessed with.
The "Tallest" Technicality
People often argue about which building is truly the tallest in D.C. The Washington Monument is the tallest structure at 555 feet. The Old Post Office Tower (now the Waldorf Astoria) is up there too. But for a building where people actually sit at desks and write briefs or edit articles?
One Franklin Square Washington takes the crown.
It hits the absolute limit of what the city allows. Because it sits on a natural elevation—one of the highest points on K Street—it feels even taller than its 12 stories suggest. It’s basically the ceiling of the city.
Sustainability and the Future
You can't have a trophy building in 2026 without "green" credentials. This place is a LEED Gold and Energy Star veteran. It’s got advanced air filtration (MERV 15 filters, if you’re into that kind of thing) and smart building tech that handles everything from elevator speeds to lighting via a mobile app.
Is it perfect? No. The downtown D.C. office market is still shaky. Vacancy rates in the District have hovered around 20% recently. But "Trophy" buildings—the best of the best—are the only ones holding steady. Companies are fleeing older, "Class B" buildings to get into spots like this.
How to Experience One Franklin Square
You don’t need to be a journalist or a lawyer to appreciate the spot. If you’re visiting or working nearby, here is how to actually make use of the space:
- Check out Planet Word: Right next door in the historic Franklin School building. It’s a language museum that’s actually fun.
- Lunch in the Park: Grab a sandwich from the downstairs retail and sit by the Franklin Park fountain. It’s the best people-watching spot in the city.
- The Night View: Walk by at night when the twin towers are lit up. It’s one of the few places in D.C. that feels like a "big city" in the traditional sense.
If you are looking for office space, keep an eye on the 8th and 10th floors. Large blocks of space (up to 42,000 square feet) occasionally hit the market as firms densify their footprints. It’s a rare chance to get that park-facing view.
One Franklin Square Washington remains the anchor of K Street. As long as the Post is printing and the law firms are litigating, those two glowing towers aren't going anywhere.
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Actionable Next Steps:
- For Tourists: Visit the adjacent Planet Word museum for a high-tech look at linguistics, then use Franklin Park's free Wi-Fi for a midday break.
- For Professionals: If you are scouting D.C. office space, prioritize buildings with "Trophy" status and park proximity to ensure employee retention in a hybrid world.
- For Architecture Buffs: Compare the granite detailing of One Franklin Square with the newer glass-heavy builds on 15th Street to see how D.C. design evolved from 1990 to today.