The experience of visiting XM Satellite Radio's headquarters takes you into a world of musical enthusiasm bordering on the fanatic, interwoven with a healthy dose of futuristic technology. The people of XM are dedicated to creating an entertainment experience unlike any other, and the technology that they use to reach this end is truly state-of-the-art.

Twin dishes (each one 7 meters in diameter) transmit the signal to XM's orbital satellites.

Facilities
1500 Eckington Place, just a few blocks away from the National Mall in Washington DC, is the home of XM Satellite Radio, an unassuming brick building in an unassuming part of the city. Unassuming, that is, except for the twin satellite dishes, 7 meters in diameter, stark white and boldly displaying the XM logo, perched atop one wing of the building.

From the outside, the building looks like its bricks have seen better days. But upon stepping inside, you are confronted with modern architecture and smiling faces behind a security desk on one side of the spacious lobby.

Formerly, the building was a printing facility for National Geographic, and the rugged, industrial architecture of the building is still apparent under a layer of modern interior design. Ceilings are high, often with exposed girders and light fixtures, giving the place an open and airy feel. In contrast, the place is furnished and decorated in modern styles. Overall, you find a solid, modern veneer over rugged, industrial construction.

The company's enthusiasm for music as an art form is obvious everywhere you turn. Hallways are decorated with large, glossy photographs of music's legendary artists: Elvis, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, and Johnny Cash, to name just a few. Another example is the music-geek names given to some of the rooms. They have a Beatles Room (a conference room) and the Phil Spector Room (one of five production rooms).

Larger than life photos adorn the halls of XM.

Even when waiting for an elevator, these music lovers want to be able to enjoy listening to tunes. Each floor's elevator lobby has a series of plastic domes hanging from the ceiling, just overhead. A circle is painted on the floor below each dome. Stepping into a circle, you discover that each dome is playing a different XM channel. When standing under a dome, you can easily hear the music. But standing outside of the circle on the floor, even by mere inches, you hear nothing. The domes are tied in to the digital network that runs through the building and XM's cutting-edge technology delivers a stereo image to the listener. These listening circles are just another way that XM shows its use of applied technology for the music enthusiast.