Marvel Architects Wins President's Park South Design Competition

The Rogers Marvel design subtly raises the grade of the Ellipse (President's Park South), adds a seating wall and integrated pedestrian lighting. The wall is a security feature, reinforces the Ellipse as an event space and minimizes the visual appearance of adjacent parking.

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) announced Rogers Marvel Architects of New York City has won the design competition for President's Park South.

The President's Park South design culminates in a ''terrace,'' a reworking of E Street NW in front of the White House grounds. E Street NW has been closed to traffic for a decade. The design can accommodate re-opening the street without significant changes should security measures change.

You many not know its name, but President's Park South is that circular green space (the Ellipse) north of Constitution Avenue NW and south of the White House grounds. The Ellipse, a 52-acre circular park built in 1880, is separated from the White House grounds by E St. NW (closed to traffic for a decade over security concerns), a sidewalk and the towering iron fence that keeps most people out of the White House grounds.

E St. NW and the sidewalk are where people like to get their picture taken with the White House in the background, or carry protest signs.

''The Rogers Marvel design is an ingenious approach that welcomes the public while enhancing security,'' said NCPC Chairman Preston Bryant Jr. ''The design proposals from all five competitors were inspiring, both for their innovative approaches for this important location and as a statement about our ability to ensure that public spaces across the country can be open, beautiful, and safe. Rogers Marvel's design stood out, offering the most dramatic approach for integrating security and public space design.''

This current image shows a speck of grass at the northern edge of the park where it meets E Street NW, a gathering spot for tourist photos and protestors petitioning their government.

Rogers Marvel design defines the edge of the Ellipse by adding a seating wall with integrated pedestrian lighting, while subtly raising the grade of the Ellipse. This establishes a security feature, reinforces the Ellipse as an event space and minimizes the visual appearance of adjacent parking. It also creates a larger, unobstructed interior public area. The design adds a new E Street terrace, another prominent space for public gathering. E Street NW will remain closed to traffic, but should security conditions change in the future, the design can accommodate re-opening the street without significant changes.

''It is our distinct privilege to respond to 21st century demands on public space in the nation's capital. Our design combines the visual space of the White House with the Ellipse, reclaiming an essential place for public participation, both formal and informal. The Ellipse is subtly reinvented to address recreation, public promenading, environmental responsibility, and security. We envision a President's Park South that will physically and conceptually connect the President and the people,'' said Robert Rogers, FAIA, principal of Rogers Marvel Architects.

More design renderings may be viewed at www.ncpc.gov/ppdc/rma.html.