The view of the White House from the South Lawn is one of the most photographed sights in Washington, but weaving around the stained jersey barriers and makeshift fencing keeping visitors off the grass can be a little imposing — and the National Park Service knows it. Five designs were revealed as contenders for a friendlier and more parklike E Street and Ellipse, also known as President’s Park South, while making permanent the required security checkpoints. And according to visitors, it’s long overdue.
“It’s shocking to see — it doesn’t look nice,” said Vicente Manterola, who is visiting from Chile.
| Five designs at a glance | |
| Hood Design Studio | Gardens south of Ellipse at Constitution Avenue |
| (Oakland) | Events pavilion off Ellipse and 15th Street |
| Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates | Traditional brick wall and wrought iron fence borders |
| (Brooklyn, N.Y.) | Secured cars can travel on top of new Ellipse roadway |
| Reed Hilderbrand Associates | Ellipse vehicle access limited to south side |
| (Watertown, Mass.) | Heavily shaded pedestrian promenade and Ellipse border |
| Rogers Marvel Architects | More pavement at topside of Ellipse |
| (New York) | Short wall acts as granite bench for seating all around Ellipse |
| SASKI | Outdoor cafe near top of Ellipse |
| (Watertown, Mass.) | Outdoor event space off Ellipse and 15th Street |
His friends, also in their 20s, added that all the fencing and police presence made them “feel like criminals” as they walked through the makeshift gate at 15th and E.
“It’s like, are you going to shoot us if we pass through?” said Brit Kahnt, who traveled from Germany.
The barriers and fencing that funnel pedestrians by the South Lawn went up after the Secret Service closed E Street — which is Park Service-owned property — in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But the barriers, meant to be temporary, stayed for 10 years.
“When it became apparent that the security threat wasn’t going away … we had a discussion with the National Park Service and the Secret Service about what to do,” said Bill Dowd, director of physical planning for the National Capital Planning Commission.
The result is a design competition to make the area more welcoming and aesthetically pleasing that meets the high security standards required by the Secret Service. An interagency security task force was formed, which includes representatives from the Secret Service, the Park Service, the D.C. Planning Department and the Architect of the Capitol.
After receiving 23 Expressions of Interest earlier this year, the task force asked five firms to submit a design. It plans to announce the front-runner on June 30.
The five designs vary in amenities — some include an outdoor events pavilion — and landscaping, but all aim to open up E Street into a pedestrian promenade, mitigating the crowding that’s often created by eager picture-takers on the South Lawn sidewalk.
The public can submit comments online or sign up to speak at the June 28 National Capital Planning Commission meeting.
