Saint Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion

St. Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion, also known as G8WAY DC, is an open-air structure that provides a venue for casual dining, a farmers market, and other community events.

To achieve the illusion of the pavilion floating above land on its open end, Silman designed a 5.5-foot-deep plate girder that cantilevers 50 feet past the nearest supporting column at the northeast edge of the structure. Another 3.5-foot-deep wide flange girder at the central spine of the rooftop cantilevers nearly 30 feet past its nearest support. Silman developed a shallow structure that preserves a uniform ceiling while creating a precise and sharp profile.

The pavilion’s green roof includes paved assembly areas and ADA accessible pathways. Sustainable features include roof plantings to reduce mechanical system demand and an on-site cistern that captures rain runoff and irrigates the entire site. The rooftop structure emerges from grade towards the south, cresting at a height of 24 feet at the northern tip and providing shade for the modular booths below.

Project Highlights: 

• The winner of a highly publicized design competition, the new pavilion is the first step of the implementation of the city’s master plan vision to transform the 180-acre Saint Elizabeths East Campus into a mixed-use development.
• The project maintained an ambitious schedule, with special attention paid to cost-effective solutions. A decrease in overall steel tonnage was achieved by utilizing a composite metal deck system and unique facade support system.