Beyond Granite Design Competition Announced

[Photo Credits]: Courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission Upon completion the Ariel Rios Hemicycle will not only have a new commemorative memorial piece, but also new seating and landscape improvements.

The National Capital Planning Commission, the federal government's central planning agency in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties of Maryland and Virginia and the General Services Administration (GSA) announce the Beyond Granite Design Competition. The temporary outdoor commemorative installation will enhance a prominent, but underutilized public space in Washington D.C.'s monumental core. The proposed site for the temporary installation is the Ariel Rios Hemicycle, a grassy semi-circle along the west side of 12th Street, NW between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues in the heart of Washington's Federal Triangle (near the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency).

''The commemoration of our country's historic leaders, events and ideas is an issue of national and long-standing significance,'' noted NCPC Executive Director Marcel Acosta. ''As one of the agencies involved with reviewing proposals for new memorials in the nation's capital, NCPC is excited to be exploring a new and innovative form of commemoration that has the potential to enrich Washington's cultural landscape, while relieving pressure on the National Mall to accommodate new permanent memorials.''

NCPC and GSA invite artists and/or design professionals, working as individuals or teams, to propose ideas for an innovative temporary commemorative work that will embody the competition's commemorative theme, the founding principles and positive impact of Earth Day, the world's largest civic observance.

The competition is being conducted in two stages, with artist/designer team submissions for the first stage due March 1st. The winner of the competition will be selected this summer and may be contracted to design, fabricate, and install their proposed installation. The resulting public display at the Hemicycle would be in place for a period of approximately one year beginning in late spring 2013. Concurrent with the competition, GSA will make permanent site enhancements, including new seating and landscape improvements.

For more information please visit www.ncpc.gov/beyondgranite