A Landscape Solution
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Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, DC, National Park Service, Aerial View, August 15, 1996. Room #4, looking toward 12 foot waterfall fountains.

After rejecting two modern architectural plans during the 1960s, the FDR Memorial Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts--which must approve the designs of significant additions to the public space of Washington--accepted a landscape solution in the 1970s designed by Lawrence Halprin. A modified version of this design is now nearing completion.

To understand the difference between landscape solutions and more traditional architectural solutions compare the Vietnam and Korean war memorials to the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. Landscape solutions are generally lower and less intrusive. They harmonize with their surroundings, making use of trees, plants and the contours of their site. The FDR memorial consists of four open-air galleries, representing each of FDR's terms in office. Framed by granite walls, each room makes use of flowing water, carved quotations, and bronze sculptures representing various aspects of Roosevelt's life and of the American experience during his presidency.