The Wonder Bread Factory building in Washington, D.C., where the eponymous sliced white bread and the parent company’s sweet Hostess cake treats were made, is emblematic of how adaptive reuse can be an important part of revitalizing a neighborhood.
The four-story building, with its brick-and-steel façade, is part of a group of buildings in northwest Washington’s Greater Shaw Historic District that have recently been refurbished and reimagined. Its neighbors include the historic Howard Theatre, closed in 1970 and renovated and reopened in 2012, and the gleaming new UNCF headquarters.
The Wonder Bread Factory, erected around 1900, closed in the 1980s and sat empty until a developer with a keen eye for historic architecture and sense of possibility began redeveloping the building in 2012.
Between 2012 and 2013, the architects preserved the factory’s exterior façade while completely redesigning the interior for use by modern businesses. It now houses office and retail businesses, including the innovative company WeWork, which offers flexible, contemporary office and co-working space for businesses around the country.