The Pentagon is the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, housing 23,000 employees. Its unique pentagonal shape allows for efficient access to most points within 10 minutes. It was built in 1941 to solve limited space for the Department of Defense. The building has 284 bathrooms, 16,250 light fixtures, and 7,754 windows. In 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the building, killing 189 people. Repairs were completed within a year.
The Pentagon is a building located in Arlington County, Virginia near Washington, DC that houses the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. The building has a unique pentagonal shape surrounding an open courtyard and houses 23,000 civilian and military employees. The Pentagon is often used as a symbol of the American military complex, as the shape makes it easily recognizable. The Pentagon is sometimes compared to a small city, due to the size and complexity of the building. It houses the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense along with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
The unique shape of the Pentagon makes it a highly efficient office building. Although the Pentagon has 3,705,793 square feet (1,129,526 meters) of office space, most points in the building can be reached within 10 minutes, a remarkable architectural achievement. In a building that coordinates the US military with organizations responsible for intelligence and security, workers often need quick access to one another.
The idea for the Pentagon was born in 1941, when Brigadier General Brehon Sommervell was trying to solve the problem of limited space for the Department of Defense, a serious problem in World War II. It was agreed that a new building was needed, and a groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 11, 1941. It took only two years to complete the building on former marshes along the Washington suburbs, and the Pentagon was quickly filled with communications equipment and personnel to coordinate the Department of Defense.
Seventeen separate office buildings were consolidated into the Pentagon to make it a central location. The building has a large number of fixtures and amenities to supply staff, including 284 bathrooms, 16,250 light fixtures, and 7,754 windows. The iconic building is available for guided tours, although access is limited to certain areas and particular times. The Pentagon complex sits on 583 square acres of land, which includes 67 acres of employee parking.
60 years after breaking ground for the Pentagon, American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and flown into the western side of the Pentagon, immediately killing 189 people upon impact. The Pentagon was evacuated, along with other important buildings in the area. Repairs on the site began quickly, with the space fully usable less than a year after the terrorist attacks.
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