Washington Monument Exhibition Debuts at the VCA

Posted on by cguske

Washington MonumentWhy does the Washington Monument — the defining feature of the Washington, D.C., skyline and the centerpiece of the National Mall — remain unfinished and underutilized at ground level?  Whose ideas have shaped the Mall? What should the grounds look like? Who should get to decide? Discover the history of the grounds and see a series of groundbreaking ideas selected by a jury of distinguished designers, historians, a Washington cultural leader, and a futurist at the Virginia Center for Architecture’s newest exhibition Someday in the Park with George: The National Ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds. The exhibition is on display at the Virginia Center for Architecture from April 12 through June 24, 2012.

Explore the history of the Monument and its grounds, from funding shortages and political disagreements that left the Monument unfinished for nearly 50 years, to the numerous planning and design challenges posed by the site. Discover how Peter Charles L’Enfant and Thomas Jefferson differed in their visions for a monument to the nation’s first president, and find out why early plans for the grounds didn’t work. Add the need to address post-9-11 security concerns to poor geologic conditions, a location on a flood plain at the heart of a living city, and a lack of mature trees, and you begin to understand why a series of ad hoc solutions have been implemented rather than a cohesive plan.

More than 500 participants from across the U.S. and around the world submitted their proposals to address these challenges to the National Ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds, which was launched nearly two years ago. “The National Ideas Competition is an ideal way to spark new thinking from citizens and professionals about this hugely important symbolic space. With fresh, visionary thought the Washington Monument grounds could one day become the real heart of the nation, not necessarily in the way L’Enfant or the McMillan planners envisioned it but in a new way that speaks to the aspirations of the 21st century,” says Kirk Savage, winner of the 2010 Charles C. Eldredge Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in American Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum. The competition was conceived by an independent steering committee including James P. Clark, FAIA, Adele Ashkar, ASLA , Lisa Benton-Short, Kenneth R. Bowling, Kent Cooper, FAIA, Judy Scott Feldman, Ph.D., Richard Longstreth, Ph.D. and Ellen Goldstein.

Someday in the Park with George was developed by a team of graduate students from the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University under the leadership of Professor Laura Schiavo.

The Virginia Center for Architecture itself has a strong tie to the National Mall.  Its home since 2003 is the 27,000-square-foot Tudor-Revival residence built by architect John Russell Pope in 1919.  Pope also designed the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the National Archives, and the West Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition debuts with an Opening Reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12. Call (804) 644-3041, ext. 100 or email aliguori@aiava.org to register to attend.  There is no charge to attend the Opening Reception.

The Virginia Center for Architecture is located at 2501 Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia’s historic Fan District. The Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. There is no charge for admission. Learn more at www.virginiaarchitecture.org.

The Life and Times of an IDEA

Posted on by cguske
Congressman Jim Moran Introduces “Melting Pot Museum” Bill
Photo courtesy of the Office of Congressman Jim Moran.

Time is the test of a strong idea.  We like to pretend that we own an idea, but the best ideas are elusive.  They thrive on those who nourish them, and they are like healthy cells that grow and spread with speed and ease.  Architects often find themselves as the holders of ideas, and we take on the responsibility of fertilizing the idea – often clothing the idea in shape and form.  When it matures enough, the idea wiggles out of the architect’s hands and goes to other hosts.  An architect’s responsibility is to keep a great idea pure and alive as long as possible.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I was invited to Congressman Jim Moran’s press conference about a national Museum of the American People.  I was in the middle of a crowd under the scorching, hot sun of summer that was reflecting the white glare of the Capitol building in Washington DC.   I was wilting, but the idea was alive and kicking!  The idea of creating a place where all our ethnic groups could display and celebrate the great American melting pot caught my attention when I read a small article earlier this year.  I had called the director of the organization to get more information about his idea, and, one thing led to another, my firm was asked to do a preliminary design of the museum in order to promote the idea.

Preliminary design for a Museum of the American People
Image courtesy of MTFA Architecture.

Talent in my office generated inspiring forms to house the idea.  The images were sent out to the press, and, instantly, the museum was nominated as “Best Unbuilt Museum Gets Best Aspirational Plan” by the Washington City Paper.  We were heroes for a short time, but the idea had to move on.  At the press conference, I was no longer the star of the show.  The idea had taken another host.  If successful in Congress, the idea will continue its journey to the President for the creation of a Presidential Commission to study the feasibility of the idea.  The test of time will tell whether this idea grows, but I was proud that architectural talents had been used to give strength to the idea.

At about the same time as Jim Moran’s press conference, the National Ideas Competition for the Grounds of the Washington Monument had its second stage jury.  This competition’s intention is that notable ideas will promote awareness, education and thoughtful development of the Monument grounds.  Lead juror Gregory Hunt explained that “We worked hard to get a diversity of approaches. We could not limit ourselves to five because the six winners were more demonstrative of the range of ideas.”

See www.wamocompetition.com for more details about the winners.  The ideas will be kept alive with the final stage of the competition when the public will be invited to select the “People’s Choice.”  Next spring the Virginia Center for Architecture will host a comprehensive exhibit about the competition that will be designed by George Washington University’s school of museum design.

At this time, the Virginia Society AIA continues the work of keeping ideas alive.  The VSAIA has been prolific in generating ideas that serve the profession of architecture and our members.  The VSAIA worked hard at the beginning of the year to put the Virginia Center for Architecture on fertile ground, and I am pleased to report that under the new leadership of Executive Director Helene Dreiling, FAIA, the Center is already bubbling with creativity and greater financial stability.  The VSAIA Board is successfully implementing the ideas in the Long Range Plan while balancing the financial challenges that affect all our businesses.  We look forward to celebrating 100 years of great ideas in 2014.  Join us to support strong ideas!

JIM

James P. Clark, AIA

VSAIA President