U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE PRESS RELEASE
Released: 18 December 2001 More About the Institute's Permanent Headquarters Project   Media inquiries should be directed to the Office of Public Outreach: Phone: 202.429.3828 E-mail: outreach@usip.org
		MOSHE SAFDIE TO DESIGN NEW U. S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE HEADQUARTERS
		WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace announced today the selection of the architectural firm of Moshe Safdie and Associates to design the Institute's permanent headquarters facility. Envisioned to serve as a national center for the prevention, management, and resolution of international conflicts, the new home for the Institute will be located in Washington, DC, on a prominent site at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street--adjacent to the northwest corner of the National Mall. Overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and with views of America's other prominent national monuments and memorials to sacrifices in war, the new building will include a conference facility and a public education center for informing and engaging visitors about current international conflicts and approaches to their resolution. Future site of the permanent headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace Photo Credit: Folio, Inc. The selection of Safdie and Associates follows a rigorous review process overseen by a special committee of the Institute's Board of Directors. Beginning in April 2001, more than fifty leading architectural firms from throughout the United States were invited to submit their qualifications for design of the project. After a review of materials submitted by the twenty-six firms which responded to the invitation, the committee selected five finalists. Finalists subsequently were invited by the committee to participate in a series of interviews and a formal presentation of their "vision concepts" for the headquarters. The committee then made recommendations to the Institute's full Board, which approved the final decision. "Selecting one firm from among this exceptionally talented and impressive group was a daunting task for the committee," reflected Richard Solomon, president of the United States Institute of Peace. "We are certain, however, that Safdie's experience, reputation, and creativity in working with projects in Washington, DC, and around the globe will serve this important project well." Moshe Safdie (left) meets with Institute Vice President Charles Nelson (second from left), Institute President Richard Solomon (middle), and Institute Board member Marc Leland (bottom right) to discuss his vision for the design of the Institute's new headquarters. The architectural and urban design practice of Moshe Safdie and Associates -- located in Somerville, MA -- has worked on projects ranging from the design of Habitat '67 in Montreal to the master planning of entire new cities around the world. The firm's other current commissions include: the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA; the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA; the Salt Lake City Public Library; the Performing Arts Center in Orlando, FL; the National Sikh Museum in the Punjab in India; the new building for the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, GA; and the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies in Tel Aviv. Exploration Place, a science center and children's museum, opened to much acclaim in Wichita, KS, in April 2000. The firm currently has two other major projects in design in Washington, DC -- the National Health Museum on the Mall, and a General Services Administration Federal Office Building on New York Avenue. The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan federal organization chartered in 1984 by act of Congress and dedicated to strengthening America's capacity to prevent, manage, and resolve international conflicts by political means. In 1996, in recognition of the Institute's accomplishments and relevance, Congress--with the strong support of Senators Sam Nunn, John Warner, and others--authorized the transfer to the Institute of the three-acre site of land adjacent to the National Mall for its permanent headquarters. The Institute is currently located in leased space in a commercial building at 17th Street, NW, near Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. To raise the necessary funds to design, build, equip, operate, and maintain the new facility, Congress authorized and directed the Institute to seek private sources of funding, thus creating a public-private partnership for the project. George Shultz, former Secretary of State, and the Reverend Theodore Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, currently serve as the honorary chair and co-chair of the Institute's fundraising effort. Additional information related to the Institute's headquarters project can be also be found on the Institute's website. The Institute is also making available to members of the press a photograph of the building site. To receive a special CD-ROM with a photo, please send an e-mail to usip_requests@usip.org with your name, phone, address, and please also specify your computer platform (PC or Mac OS), type of photo requested (color or black & white), preferred file format (TIFF , JPEG, EPS , or other) and the resolution or DPI needed.
		Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace Chester A. Crocker (Chairman), James R. Schlesinger Professor of Strategic Studies, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Seymour Martin Lipset (Vice Chairman), Hazel Professor of Public Policy, George Mason University Betty F. Bumpers, Founder and former President, Peace Links Holly J. Burkhalter, Advocacy Director, Physicians for Human Rights Marc E. Leland, President, Marc E. Leland & Associates Mora L. McLean, President, Africa-America Institute Maria Otero, President, ACCION International Barbara W. Snelling, State Senator and former Lieutenant Governor, Vermont Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development, University of Maryland Harriet Zimmerman, Vice President, American Israel Public Affairs Committee Members Ex Officio Lorne W. Craner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Douglas J. Feith, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Paul G. Gaffney II, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy; President, National Defense University Richard H. Solomon, President, United States Institute of Peace The U.S. Institute of Peace is a non-partisan, independent organization created and funded by the U.S. Congress to promote prevention and resolution of international conflicts.

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