A federal panel voiced support for an innovative memorial design commemorating President Eisenhower amid concerns the structure would overshadow the neighboring U.S. Department of Education building. The concept design, as presented to the National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday, features nearly 80-foot-tall translucent panels that act as a border to the roughly 3-acre memorial site at the intersection of Maryland and Independence avenues. The panels would act as outdoor “tapestries,” suspended by large columns and hung high enough to allow visitors to walk beneath. The stainless steel panels could depict black-and-white etchings ranging from a portrait of Eisenhower to landscapes reminiscent of his boyhood home in Kansas. Two 100-foot-wide panels would face Independence Avenue, providing an anchor on both sides of the memorial, which would be landscaped with trees and grass. A longer panel would stretch across the back of the memorial, obscuring much of the Department of Eduction building.
Eric Waldo, deputy chief of staff for the secretary of education, testified the agency was concerned about the memorial’s placement.
“This tapestry might hide the U.S. Department of Education, and the message that would send to the public at large is something we’re concerned about,” he said. “And we think that would be ironic and disappointing given Eisenhower’s legacy with respect to education.”
Others testified that converting Maryland Avenue to a pedestrian promenade that dissects the memorial conflicts with Pierre L’Enfant’s vision for the capital that calls for sweeping views along Maryland and Pennsylvania avenues.
“The avenue should not be seen as a 50-foot cartway but as a 160-foot avenue with a grand vista [to the Capitol Dome],” said Judy Scott Feldman, president of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall.
Planning commissioners echoed similar concerns but noted the originality of the outdoor tapestries.
Architect Frank Gehry said he didn’t want the space to be another “pedestrian” plaza like the sparsely landscaped Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue.
“I think if we’re going to memorialize a profound figure like Dwight D. Eisenhower, then we ought to do it in a classy way,” he said.
The commission asked Gehry to incorporate the concerns before he returns for the design’s preliminary review.
