CFA 16/MAR/06-1

Location

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
Independence Avenue at the northwestern rim of the Tidal Basin
United States

Owner
National Park Service
Property
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
Review Type
Revised concept
Previous Review

Letter

Dear Mr. Lawler:

In the meeting of 16 March, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed and approved the revised concept for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial along the Tidal Basin. The Commission members appreciated the project team's responsiveness to their previous concerns and were unanimous in their praise for the revised design's simplicity and coherence.

The members suggested closer study of the opening in the "Mountain of Despair" to reinforce the memorial's fundamental concept of the "Stone of Hope" appearing to have been pulled forward from the mountain. The members questioned the purpose, location, and size of the ancillary building proposed for the southern corner of the site, and recommended that a building, if needed, be as small and unobtrusive as possible and located away from the Tidal Basin. Further response to these concerns, as well as additional information on materials and design details, should be provided for the Commission's review of subsequent design stages.

As always, the Commission staff is available should you require further guidance.

Sincerely,

Thomas Luebke, AIA
Secretary

Joe Lawler, Regional Director
National Capital Region
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242

cc: John Parsons, NPS
Ed Jackson, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project
Paul Devrouax, FAIA, Devrouax and Purnell Architects
Boris Dramov, ROMA Design Group