Montgomery County
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902
Planning Department
2425 Reedie Drive, 14th Floor
Wheaton, MD 20902
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GEICO Headquarters (1959)
5260 Western Avenue, Bethesda
Vincent Kling, architect
Photo Credit: Sandra Youla
The corporate headquarters for GEICO (1959) is an outstanding example of an International Style complex composed of carefully articulated buildings set in a natural, landscaped campus. Long low wings are contrasted by taller opaque blocks sheathed in textured porcelain enamel panels and colored, crystal-textured glass panels. The 26-acre landscaped campus includes mature trees, terraced parking, flying saucer light fixtures, and a broad fountain perched at the entrance like a hovercraft. A taller office tower was added in 1964.
Gatz & Achterberg; Color and Architecture, Germany, 1967
Architect Vincent Kling of Philadelphia worked for Skidmore Owings & Merrill before establishing his own firm in 1946. His expertise was in research labs and commercial space. At the same time he designed the GEICO building, Kling was creating Philadelphia’s Penn Center--a multi-use downtown complex--with the goal of bringing the middle class back to the city.
1965 and 1974 AIA Guides
The Government Employees Insurance Company was founded in 1936. Presiding over the opening of new GEICO headquarters building in Chevy Chase was investment banker Lorimer Davidson, who became Chairman and CEO in 1958. The suburban corporate headquarters complex was a new building type for this era.
Modern Architecture Tour
Last updated: February 12, 2014