Vision

Design Objective

Congress has authorized the World War I Centennial Commission to enhance the existing Pershing memorial by constructing on Pershing Park "appropriate sculptural and other commemorative elements, including landscaping." The objective of this design competition is to transform Pershing Park from a park that happens to contain a memorial to a site that is primarily a national World War I memorial, within a revitalized urban park setting with a distinct sense of place that complements the memorial purpose while attracting visitors, workers, and residents of the District of Columbia.

The memorial should honor and commemorate the service of American forces in World War I with sufficient scale and weight that the memorial takes its place within the larger network of memorials and monuments situated on and around the National Mall. At the same time, designers should forge functional and perceptual linkages to the pathways, streets, and significant civic spaces and architectural landmarks around the site. Design and landscape elements should contribute to the park composition and strengthen the relationship of the park to the larger urban context, while complementing, and not detracting from, the meaning of the commemorative elements (whether new or pre-existing) within the site.