NATIONAL MALL
“We were struck by the optimism and clarity of the original design by Dan Kiley,” said landscape architect Peter Walker. “It’s engaged with the timeless quality of the Mall.” As in the other two sites, the Washington Monument is highly visible from Constitution Gardens. The Vietnam Memorial lies over a knoll to the west, and the site sees traffic to and from the World War II Memorial. To anchor the site, the design proposes a pavilion as a gateway destination that leads into the grounds. “It’s a dramatic threshold to get to the lake and the gardens, using terraces to frame the gardens,” said winning team member and architect Rob Rogers. “There will be a restaurant, model boating, ice skating in winter, and performances. It’s for local residents as well as visitors.” The team also wants to improve the landscape in major, important ways, but in their initial research, they found that the soil and drainage aren’t supporting Kiley’s original plants. They are growing half as much as expected, so that a 40-year-old tree looks more like a tree half its age. Their solution is to dig up all the existing trees. They will then suspend them up over the ground while the entire area is re-graded and the drainage completely re-engineered. They’ll then redistribute and re-plant the trees, adding new plantings only where they’re needed. And as they change the topography, the team will also look hard at the water in the lake, which is now stagnant, full of algae bloom, and fed by the District’s municipal water source. To help mitigate the problems, they are proposing that the lake be recreated and fed by stormwater, rather than by its current city sources. “All the water will be treated before it goes into the pond, then treated there again, before being used for irrigation or going back into the Potomac,” Walker said. And in the middle of the gardens, the team will build a pavilion with expansive terraces and ample seating. It is hoped that visitors will take a seat, take in the grounds, and enjoy the inspiring views that the entire Mall has to offer.
PUBLIC PLACES
DESIGN BUREAU
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