OLIN and WEISS/MANFREDI Shortlisted
The Trust for the National Mall and the National Parks Service has selected the team of OLIN and WEISS/MANFREDI to proceed to Stage III of the National Mall Design Competition. The National Mall is both an iconic and highly visited space, accommodating more than 25 million visitors annually; this competition seeks to refurbish and rehabilitate the Mall, preserving the space and creating more comfortable and welcoming experience for its many users. Having selected a shortlist of ten nationally-renowned design teams to participate in the final stage of this process, Competition Manager Donald Stastny, FAIA, FAICP, FCIP, explains that these groups “will now be charged with delivering on the promise of a beautiful, useful and sustainable National Mall.”
The OLIN and WEISS/MANFREDI team is one of only two teams shortlisted to develop concept designs for two of the three key sites in the competition: the Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater and Constitution Gardens. Partners Skip Graffam and Hallie Boyce are leading OLIN’s effort and are eager to offer proposals on how to renovate these storied spaces. Hallie notes, “It is an incredible honor to have the opportunity to explore the future potential of the Monument Grounds at the Sylvan Theater and Constitution Gardens, two catalytic landscapes in the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service’s effort to revitalize America’s front yard. OLIN looks forward to collaborating with our co-leads WEISS/MANFREDI to create innovative strategies that reveal these sites’ multiple histories while inventing new experiences for the public’s future enjoyment.”
The teams will have 11 weeks to craft their concepts for their assigned sites. Judges from the Competition’s panel will look for “functionality, sustainability and constructability” in the designs and how well they reflect the Trust’s vision for the National Mall. Winning designs will be announced on May 3, 2012.
