Letter
Dear Mr. Sarles:
In its meeting of 17 April, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed concept designs for entrance canopies at the Gallery Place west and Dupont Circle north Metro station entrances. The Commission approved both concepts with the following comments, commending the proposals as elegant interpretations of the standard Metro canopy design.
In their discussion of the Dupont Circle proposal, the Commission members identified the opportunity to increase the site's sustainability by collecting water from the new canopy and using it to irrigate the trees and plantings within the portal and plaza. They suggested that this could be accomplished by introducing a ring of pervious paving and creating a pattern of continuously connected planters for the trees, whose location may need to be revised because of the new canopy; they encouraged collaboration with other agencies as needed for the plaza improvements.
The Commission looks forward to the review of the final submission, which should include a landscape design for the plaza surrounding the Dupont Circle north entrance to address the issues noted above. As always, the staff is available to assist you with the next submission.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Richard Sarles
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
600 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
cc: Ivo Karadimov, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Jon Lourie, Lourie & Chenoweth
Richard Chenoweth, Lourie & Chenoweth