Letter
Dear Ms. Mendelson-Ielmini:
In its meeting of 16 January, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the proposed design for a temporary installation of planters, tables, and chairs to improve public space at Indiana Plaza, located at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Indiana Avenues with 7th Street, NW. The Commission approved the design with the following comments.
The Commission members expressed support for the proposal to enhance the plaza with new elements that are emblematic of the State of Indiana, with an installation of nine groups of planters containing flowering plants native to Indiana, to be placed on the paved space lined by canopy trees between the two historic buildings at the east end of the plaza. They observed that these planters will help define this space, noting that the planters’ diagonal orientation will relate the space to the alignment of nearby Indiana Avenue. However, they recommended eliminating the two outlying groups of planters proposed for the western end, commenting that this area would be better animated with trees and movable furniture. Although they supported the use of the bright red color for the tables and chairs, they advised against the proposed use of red for the planters because the color would be discordant with the plant palette. Instead, they recommended looking at the color composition as a whole, and specifying a neutral shade other than black for the planters, perhaps incorporating red color in the signage graphics. Finally, they advised reducing the height of the planters to improve the installation’s overall scale.
For resolution of these outstanding details of the final design, please consult with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, Acting Director
Region 1–National Capital Area
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Jonathan Fitch, Landscape Architecture Bureau