Over 1,200 entires from 30 states and 10 countries submitted applications for the National Mall competition. Late last month fifteen design teams were chosen as finalists to advance to the second stage of this prestigious contest.
Hosting 25 million visitors annually, the National Mall will undergo an estimated $700 million restoration beginning in 2012. The competition has been broken down into three areas of restoration: Union Square including the Reflecting Pool and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds, and the Constitution Gardens between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
Among the finalists to move on to stage two of the competition, Diller Scofidio Renfro, Weiss/Manfredi, and Rogers Marvel Architects who are shortlisted for two out of the three areas of restoration, as well as Snohetta, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Ten Arquitectos, and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson who are finalists for one area of restoration.
“Entrants were evaluated on past design performance, philosophy, design intent, thoughtfulness, creativity and overall resume,” according to a release from the Trust of the National Mall. The jury, compiled of architects, professors and other members of the architecture community, included Michael Gericke of Pentagram NYC and Pritzker Prize Laureate Thom Mayne founder of Morphosis.
The second stage of the competition includes interviews of the teams conducted by the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Service, and the last stage will include proposed plans for the restoration. The competition will culminate in May 2012 and the proposed designs from stage three of the competition will be available to the public prior to the winning design being selected.
Follow the break for a complete list of design finalists for the National Mall Competition.
Union Square
Diller Scofidio Renfro & Hood Design Elizabeth Diller | Lead Architect Walter Hood | Lead Landscape Architect
Gustafson Guthrie Nichol & AEDAS Kathryn Gustafson, FLA, ASLA, Hon RDI | Lead Landscape Architect Carl F. Krebs, AIA | Lead Architect
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects & Workshop:Ken Smith Landscape Architect Henry N. Cobb, FAIA | Lead Architect Ken Smith, ASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
Reed Hilderbrand & Chan Krieger NBBJ Gary R. Hilderbrand, FASLA, FAAR | Lead Landscape Architect Alex Krieger, FAIA | Lead Architect
Rogers Marvel Architects & Peter Walker and Partners Robert M. Rogers, FAIA | Lead Architect Jonathan M. Marvel, AIA | Lead Architect Peter Walker, FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
Snohetta & AECOM Craig Dykers, AIA, siv. ark. MNAL, FRIBA, LEED AP | Lead Architect Roger Courtenay, FASLA, LEED AP | Lead Landscape Architect
Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds
Balmori Associates & Work Architecture Company Diana Balmori | Lead Landscape Architect Amale Andraos | Lead Architect Dan Wood, AIA, LEED | Lead Architect
Diller Scofidio Renfro & Hood Design Elizabeth Diller | Lead Architect Walter Hood | Lead Landscape Architect
Handel Architects & W Architecture and Landscape Architecture Michael Arad, AIA, LEED AP | Lead Architect Barbara Wilks, FASLA, FAIA | Lead Landscape Architect
Michael Maltzan Architecture & Tom Leader Studio Michael T. Maltzan, FAIA | Lead Architect Tom Leader, ASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
OLIN & Weiss/Manfredi Skip Graffam, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP | Lead Landscape Architect Marion Weiss, AIA | Lead Architect
Ten Arquitectos & Andrea Cochran Landscape Architects Enrique Norten, Hon. FAIA | Lead Architect Andrea Cochran, FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
Constitution Gardens
Andropogon & Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Jose M. Alminana, RLA, FASLA, LEED AP | Lead Landscape Architect Frank W. Grauman, RA, FAIA, LEED AP | Lead Architect
Lee and Associates & Arthur Cotton Moore/Associates Jeff S. Lee, FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect Arthur Cotton Moore, FAIA | Lead Architect
McKissack & McKissack & Oehme Van Sweden Ronald A. Kessler, AIA | Lead Architect Sheila A. Brady, FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architect & Paul Murdoch Architects Warren T. Byrd Jr., FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect Paul Murdoch, AIA, LEED AP | Lead Architect
OLIN & Weiss/Manfredi Skip Graffam, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP | Lead Landscape Architect Marion Weiss, AIA | Lead Architect
Rogers Marvel Architects & Peter Walker and Partners Robert M. Rogers, FAIA | Lead Architect Jonathan M. Marvel, AIA | Lead Architect Peter Walker, FASLA | Lead Landscape Architect
