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Cultural Institution- Award of Merit
National World War II Memorial
Washington, D.C.
 After
10 years of design development, intense fund-raising and the
occasional controversy, the National World War II Memorial
has taken its place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Located on a 7.4-acre site between the Washington Monument
and Lincoln Memorial, the privately funded project is centered
around a 338- by 240-ft. elliptical Memorial Plaza recessed
6 ft. below grade and anchored on the north and south ends
by 43-ft.-high arched pavilions commemorating the war's Atlantic
and Pacific theaters.
Ringing the plaza are 56 17-ft., open-centered granite pillars
representing the states, territories and the District of Columbia.
To recognize the war's human toll, a waterfall-flanked Freedom
Wall contains a field of sculptured gold stars, a reminder
of the wartime symbols displayed by families of service members
killed in action. A series of 24 bronze bas-relief panels
along the ceremonial entrance balustrades depict the war years
at home and overseas.
Adopting a "100-year" design philosophy, architect
Leo A. Daly of Washington, D.C., specified more than 100,000
cu. ft. of granite with an installation tolerance of plus
or minus 1/16 in. Solid blocks weighing as much as 20 tons
anchor the memorial's key elements visually and aesthetically,
while also ensuring their durability.
"It's a handsome piece," said one judge. "The
tight schedule and public scrutiny throughout the process
made this one a real challenge to complete on time, which
they did."
The memorial has been the subject of substantial scrutiny
since Congress gave the go-ahead for the project in 1993,
and after design architect Friederich St. Florian's concept
was selected from more than 400 proposals four years later.
An extensive multiagency review process and multiple public
hearings led to several changes and refinements that helped
preserve the setting's historic and visual integrity. By shrinking
the memorial's footprint to 2.5 acres, for example, the state
pillars and arched pavilions blend into adjacent double rows
of elm trees planted by famed landscape architect Frederick
Law Olmstead.
To protect the westward vista of the Lincoln Memorial, the
low-rise commemorative plaza incorporates a refurbished Rainbow
Pool constructed along with the more familiar Reflecting Pool
in the 1920s.
A sense of urgency punctuated the $56.1 million construction
effort, begun just days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
With the number of World War II veterans dwindling by 1,100
each day, meeting the aggressive schedule became an important
objective.
To construct the memorial's foundation and watertight utility
vaults amid the shallow water table and unstable soils of
the former Potomac River marshland, the joint venture of Tompkins
Builders of Washington, D.C., and Grunley-Walsh of Rockville,
Md., built a slurry wall extending 40 ft. to bedrock and excavated
approximately 108,000 cu. yd. of fill.
Nearly 600 piles were then driven to bedrock. Throughout
construction, groundwater was meticulously tested for arsenic
and heavy metals before discharge to the Tidal Basin.
Despite contending with months of drenching rain, a paralyzing
snowstorm and Hurricane Isabel, the project team completed
the memorial well in advance of the dedication ceremonies
on Memorial Day weekend.
Owner: American Battle Monument
Commission
Architect: Leo A. Daly
General Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Construction Co.
Consultants: CMS Collaborative
Fountain Consultant: Mueser
Rutledge Consulting
Builder: "Tompkins Builders,
Inc. / Grunley Walsh Joint Venture"
Fountain / Mechanical: Welch
& Rushe
Stone Install: Pagliaro Brothers
Stone Fab: New England Stone
Ornamental Metal: Stewart Springs
/ Valley Bronze
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