Letter
Dear Ms. Hall:
In its public meeting of 20 January conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed and approved a submission to amend the previously approved final design for alterations to the existing Circle of Remembrance at the World War II Memorial, to include a new plaque inscribed with the prayer delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on D-Day.
In addition to addressing the minor outstanding issues of detailing and graphic design identified in the final review in May 2021, the current submission proposes to remove from the project scope the enlarged World War II Victory Medal, which was to be inset into the pavement at the center of the circle. In its discussion, the Commission concluded that the new focus of the Circle of Remembrance will be on the D-Day prayer plaque, and that the simpler design proposed for the pavement at the center encourages occupation of the plaza without visually competing with the plaque nor adding an axial emphasis to the circular space. Acknowledging also that the project team would prefer not to include the medal design in the pavement, the Commission approved the proposal to remove this element from the final design.
The Commission looks forward to the completion of this project as an improvement to the World War II Memorial. Please continue to coordinate with the staff to complete the development and documentation of the design in accordance with the final approval.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Kym A. Hall, Area Director
Region 1–National Capital Area
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Lisa Delplace, Oehme, van Sweden
Holly Rotondi, Friends of the National World War II Memorial