Letter
Dear Ms. Mendelson-Ielmini:
In its meeting of 21 March, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept submission for the replacement of the existing U.S. Park Police stables in West Potomac Park, located within Ash Woods between the D.C. War Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The Commission approved the concept design shown in Option 1, an orthogonally sited symmetrical building parallel to the axis of the nearby Reflecting Pool.
The Commission members commented that the symmetrical scheme is the most elegant, and that its simplicity would clearly express its program as a horse stable. They expressed support for the inclusion of dedicated spaces for visitors to view the paddocks and for interpretive and educational programs prominently located on the north side of the building. Regarding the visual impact of this facility on the D.C. War Memorial, they found that the distance between the two structures—more than 300 feet of woodland—is sufficiently large that the effect will be minor. Finally, they supported a conventional palette of materials, and they did not support a monochromatic treatment.
The Commission looks forward to further review as the design is refined; please coordinate the next submission with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, Acting Regional Director
National Park Service, National Capital Region
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Tasos Kokoris, AIA
Skip Graffam, OLIN