With our entry “MONUMENT OF UNITY” we are participating in the third and final round of the open ideas competition of improving the Washington Monument Grounds. The idea is based on reinforcing the symbolic quality of the obelisk in the Washington Mall area as a pivotal point in the urban ensemble.
design: Jacques Prins, Kevin Battarbee, Egidijus Kasakaitis



We want to create a better understanding of history - a large sky-lit museum and exhibition hall encircling the Monument, dedicated to the person and legacy of George Washington. We aim to achieve a welcoming experience - a spatial sequence strengthening the central position of the Monument on the Washington Mall, harmonizing with the past and addressing the present and future.

Design statement
Retain the singular identity of the Washington Monument as the main character of the monumental and reinforce the circle as the symbol the United States of America as one nation.
Introduce parabolic curves on the east and west sides as generous entrance areas to the new museum space. Add a layer of history by displaying the foundations of the monument. State the importance of the Union between the States by a citation from the Farewell Address by George Washington on the circular perimeter wall.
Urban context
Ever since the plan drafted by L’Enfant in the 18th century the vision is consistent: make The Mall the centerpiece of Washington and, indeed, the main monumental urban ensemble of the United States. Our plan for the Washington Monument fits into that design time-line. The McMillan plan of approximately a century ago laid the foundation of the current space. We do not propose interventions, which distract from this vision. We believe in allowing additional building volume on the locations proposed by McMillan, especially on the southeast side. We aim to avoid cluttering of buildings and institutions by concentrating interventions below ground level and by doing so keep the central green space empty.

The singular identity of the obelisk must remain the main feature. The circle surrounding the Monument symbolizes one nation, a heterogeneous population that shares the American Dream and celebrates the legacy of George Washington, freedom and integrity. 
Vegetation is used sparsely, as not to undermine the vastness of the central space around the Monument. Only some additional planting is added to reinforce the symmetry and spatial definition of the east west axis.

Museum space and visitor center
The main theme is the person and legacy of George Washington, symbolized by his Farewell Address quote on the perimeter wall: “independence, peace at home and abroad, safety, prosperity, and liberty are all dependent upon the unity between the states”; secondly the history of The Mall and the Monument in particular. The central hall serves mainly as a visitors' center with a new entrance facility to the Monument. Around the central hall the concentric museum space, housing a permanent exhibition around two themes: the person and legacy of George Washington and the history of the Mall and the Monument itself. 

The main design feature in the hall and museum is the interplay of direct and indirect light; direct in the circular hall, indirect in the museum spaces.



Parabolic curves
On West an East sides public spaces are created that can serve various purposes. Apart from being generous and welcoming entrances, they can also be used as a venue for public meetings, gatherings or spectacles. The connection between the entrance areas and the central circular space is as lively as possible. By moving downwards a few feet the transitional spatial experience is enhanced.

Construction
A compression ring as the main structural feature allows a very shallow height of the roof structure without adding extra strain to the monument foundations. By applying this particular structural concept the loads are carried away as far from the foundations as possible.

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