Letter
Dear Mr. Floyd:
During its meeting of 15 April, the Commission reviewed the proposed concept for the National Law Enforcement Museum located on Judiciary Square. The revised concept continues to be a much grander composition than anticipated for the site. When combined with the numerous garden walls and the patterned of plaza surface, the above grade pavilions create a much larger design group than individual objects in a open garden. In addition, they appear to trespass into the pedestrian street corridor to the North and the alleys to the East and West creating problems with circulation and views.
Therefore, the applicant is requested to maintain alignments with the surrounding structures rather than extend beyond the perimeters set by the existing set-backs at this historic site and make every effort to reduce the scale of the above-grade structures. Each pavilion should be of a size and design to allow it to be independent rather than dependent on other structures or hardscape elements in the landscape and encourage a sense of openness and access to the court building beyond. The surrounding landscape should be simplified to allow it to be read as a whole rather than as individual rooms. The accessible pathways to the District of Columbia Old City Hall should be more visible, direct, generous and inviting. Finally, the Commission continues to advocate a coordinated design solution for both the National Law Enforcement Museum and the Old Courthouse and suggests that the collaboration extend to the design of a combined loading dock for both facilities, which might also allow for the relocation of mechanical equipment and a further reduction in the size of the pavilions.
The Commission looks forward to further review of this project and recommends submission of a revised concept which responds to the concerns expressed and includes a proposal for signs. As always, the staff is available should you require guidance.
Sincerely,
/s/
Charles H. Atherton
Secretary
Craig Floyd
Chairman
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
400 7th Street, NW- Suite #300
Washington, DC 20004
cc: Davis Buckley, AlA