Riggs Bank Tour

Join APT DC for a behind-the-scenes tour of the historic Riggs Bank and its transformation into the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD). Long known as the “Bank of Presidents,” the landmark building and its neighboring structures have been thoughtfully adapted to create a new cultural and educational destination just steps from the White House.

Led by Gaston Dietz and Falynn Schmidt of OTJ Architects, the tour will explore the intersection of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and contemporary design throughout the complex. Attendees will see how historically significant structures were connected and reimagined to support the Center’s new uses while maintaining the character of the original buildings.

Highlights will include the glass atrium, created within a former alleyway between the historic structures and now serving as the spine of the complex; the below-grade Stand Together Theater, a 270-degree immersive space that required underpinning the existing Riggs Bank foundations and significant excavation; and a selection of upper-level spaces where contemporary interventions have been carefully integrated within the historic context.

Throughout the tour, Gaston and Falynn will discuss the design, preservation, and technical challenges involved in adapting the former bank and surrounding buildings for a dramatically different program, offering attendees an inside look at the decisions and coordination required to bring new life to this important collection of historic structures.