Washington DC DC

Five landscape architecture firms that will work to shape the future of the endangered National Mall Tidal Basin were recently announced by National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Trust for the National Mall, in partnership with the National Park Service. The 107 acre Tidal Basin was first built in the 1800s and is part of West Potomac Park in Washington, DC. The location most associated with Washington’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival, the Tidal Basin also comprises five memorials, including the Jefferson Memorial. Unfortunately, the Tidal Basin is threatened by rising sea levels, unstable sea walls, and outdated infrastructure. It’s estimated that as much as $500 million is needed to upgrade and maintain America’s most visited national park. This year, it was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. As a result, the National Mall Tidal Basin Ideas Lab was launched. This 18-month initiative, presented by American Express, calls on architectural and structural engineering firms, a wide range of stakeholder groups, and the public at large to contribute to the development of a vision to preserve the Tidal Basin for the next 150 years. The landscape architecture firms: DLANDstudio; GGN; Hood Design Studio; James Corner Field Operations: and Reed Hilderbrand, will join the Ideas Lab to propose solutions to major challenges specific to the Tidal Basin site. These include security, circulation, civic stage, cultural landscape, connectivity, conservation, resilience, infrastructure, and visitor experience. The Tidal Basin faces immediate threats including daily flooding ...