WWI Memorial Design Competition
The Plaza to the Forgotten War | Washington, DC
Halvorson was honored to be a part of the Johnsen Schmaling Architects design team, selected as a finalist for the WWI Memorial Design Competition in Washington, DC, along with Arup and George Sexton Associates.
The Plaza to a Forgotten War is a memorial and urban park dedicated to the heroic sacrifices made by Americans during World War I. An expansive, linear field of in-ground fiber-optic lights fills the center of the site, forming a dense and seemingly endless grid of illuminated markers that conveys the staggering scale of losses endured. The site’s landscape features weave together the carefully choreographed layers of meaning, creating an inviting and sustainable urban park that devotedly holds onto the memory of a momentous war while accommodating the vibrancy of contemporary life — a dignified memorial plaza that faithfully upholds Washington’s distinguished legacy of monuments paying tribute to our nation’s unsung heroes.
size
1.76 acres
principal-in-charge
Project manager
Team
Client:
World War I Centennial Commission
Architects:
Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Civil Engineer:
Arup
Lighting Designer:
George Sexton Associates