|
February 2003
Vol. IX, No. 2
A National Presence for Peacemaking
A view of the Institute's future headquarters. |
The Institute's permanent headquarters wins a key design approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.
The Institute's headquarters project took a major step forward in November, as the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts enthusiastically approved the design concept for the new building.
The planned headquarters will be built at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street. Its two atria will face the Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac River.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts advises the U.S. and D.C. governments on architecture and artistic matters that affect the capital city's appearance. Commission chairman Harry G. Robinson III called the building design an "exciting, exuberant statement of the importance of peace." Commission member David M. Childs added that the Institute is the "absolutely appropriate program to be the exclamation point at the end of Constitution Avenue." Architect Moshe Safdie presented the design concept to the commission on November 21. A New Yorker magazine profile of Safdie on January 20 pointed to the Institute project as Safdie's most visible building in America.
Architect Moshe Safdie |
The Institute's presence will add a forward-looking context to the historical memorials and monuments on the National Mall for the thousands of annual visitors to Washington. The five-level headquarters building will host conferences, workshops, public addresses, training sessions, and education seminars, in addition to a library, exhibits, and public education displays. It will attract visitors concerned with conflict and peacebuilding from around the world.
Washington Post architecture critic Benjamin Forgey in a November 23 article called the design "exemplary" and said the city will be lucky to have the building as a "gateway" presence at the western approach to the National Mall. His article commended the architect on accomplishing the delicate task of placing a new structure on these grounds, taking care not to compete with the Lincoln Memorial.
Institute president Richard Solomon called the commission's approval "a major step forward in our plan to create a national center for research, education, professional training, and policy development in the area of international conflict management and resolution." He added that private support for construction of the building will "realize a public-private partnership in support of innovation in peacemaking for the 21st century."
Other Institute Resources:
