Federal officials on Friday provided detailed renderings for a proposed 250-foot (76-meter) monument in Washington that, if approved, would add a dominant new feature to the capital's skyline. The project, described as a "Triumphal Arch," was advanced by the administration as part of commemoration plans for the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The submitted designs depict an ivory-colored arch inspired by classical Roman forms, explicitly modeled on the Arch of Titus and bearing a resemblance to Paris' Arc de Triomphe. The proposal emphasizes a number of gilded decorative elements and large figurative sculptures.
Design details
- The central structure is planned as a 250-foot-tall arch finished in an ivory color.
- A 60-foot statue sits atop the arch; the figure resembles the Statue of Liberty but is shown with angel wings, and the composition is flanked by two 24-foot eagle statues.
- Golden fixtures are prominent throughout the renderings, and four golden lion statues are also included in the scheme.
- Inscribed on each side of the arch are two phrases drawn from the national Pledge of Allegiance - "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" and "LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL."
Location and context
The arch is proposed for a site currently occupied by an empty traffic circle situated between the Lincoln Memorial and the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery is a military burial ground that, according to the material provided, contains around 430,000 interments dating back to the Revolutionary War. The administration frames the project as part of the 250th anniversary observances for the country.
Review process and legal hurdles
Before any construction could proceed, the proposal must receive approval from the federal Commission of Fine Arts. The Commission is described in the submission as currently composed of officials selected by the administration. Even with a favorable decision from that panel, the project faces litigation: some Washington-area residents have already filed lawsuits seeking to block the arch.
The president has publicly commented on the scale of the monument. In January he said he wanted the arch to be "the biggest one of all." At the proposed 250-foot height, the arch would surpass the approximately 100-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial, be noticeably taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and stand at roughly half the height of the 555-foot obelisk-shaped Washington Monument located on the National Mall.
The administration notes the arch would represent the tallest new structure proposed during the current administration and the largest federal monument constructed in Washington since President Franklin D. Roosevelt oversaw the building of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in 1943.
Other design and renovation items publicized
Alongside the arch renderings, officials released plans for additional changes in the capital. Those designs include painting the ornate, gray Eisenhower Executive Office Building white and redesigning Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the U.S. Capitol with new road and walkway layouts, different trees and tall American flags.
The administration has already made other alterations to White House property and nearby cultural sites. Officials razed the White House's East Wing to clear a site for a state ballroom, added the president's name to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of its forthcoming summer closure for theater and exterior renovations, and initiated a "beautification" campaign that has coincided with federal parks being ringed by fencing during ongoing renovations.