Letter
Dear Mr. Lawler:
In the last meeting of 17 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed and approved the revised concept for the design of the Lincoln Memorial security perimeter. Again, the Commission members expressed their regret for the necessity to encircle the Memorial with security barriers.
The Commission members accepted in concept the treatment of the security barrier below the Memorial Circle roadway, including the modification to locate bollards within shrubbery flanking the stairs. Regarding the placement of security elements to emphasize the central plaza at the base of the approachway, the members expressed differing opinions on how to do the least harm to the design of the memorial. However, by a majority vote, the Commission approved the proposal that locates the bollards to include the curving portions of the roadway extending to the intersections with Bacon and French Drives. To address the stated concern of differentiating the central plaza from the roadway, the Commission recommended that the paving of these two areas be designed to differentiate between the central plaza and the curving portions of the former roadway.
The Commission members recommended that the design of the bollards be kept simple and that chains, if used between bollards, should be considered an integral part of the design. The Commission looks forward to the review of the design of the bollards as well as the detailing of the other perimeter security elements. As always, the Commission staff is available should you require further guidance.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Joseph M. Lawler, Regional Director
National Capital Region
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: John Parsons, NPS
Sally Blumenthal, NPS
Vicki Keys, NPS
Stephen Lorenzetti, NPS
Ron Kessler, McKissack and McKissack
Walter Schaepper, McKissack and McKissack