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September 14, 2004 -
FOUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE
IN CANAL PARK DESIGN COMPETITION
New park will be the centerpiece of the
emerging Near Southeast Waterfront Neighborhood
The District of Columbia has selected four firms to participate
in a design competition for a new 1.8 acre park in Washington's
Near Southeast Neighborhood. Washington Canal Park will be
located at M and 2nd Streets, SE on a 3-block site along the route
of the historic Washington Canal that once connected the Anacostia
River to the U.S. Capitol and the Potomac River.
The non-profit organization Canal Park Development Association
(CPDA) is coordinating the design competition on behalf of the
District of Columbia through a grant by the National Endowment
for the Arts "New Public Works" program. More than 35 leading
designers from around the world responded to the request for
qualifications. The four landscape architecture firms selected to
participate in the competition are all of national or international
stature:
Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd from Seattle, Washington, is known
for designing parks that emphasize the sculptural quality of the
landscape. Recent work includes the Lurie Garden in Chicago's
Millennium Park and the Seattle Civic Center Plaza.
Hood Design from Oakland, California, has a national reputation
for using citizen involvement to create park designs that reflect
the goals and aspirations of the community. Relevant work
includes Splash Pad Park in Oakland and the Poplar Street Roadway
plan in Macon, Georgia.
Sasaki Associates, Inc from Watertown, Massachusetts, has an extensive
portfolio of innovative park designs that include the award winning
Charleston Waterfront Park and the White River Park in Indianapolis.
Atelier Dreiseitl from Uberlingen, Germany, working with Stephen
Stimson Associates of Falmouth, Massachusetts, is a leader in
integrating water features into park designs to create
environment-friendly projects with high aesthetic and social value.
Their work includes the Pottsdamer Platz in Berlin and the Queens
Botanical Garden in New York City.
The selection of the four firms was based upon an evaluation of
comparable projects, design expertise and the qualifications with
respect to the project goals. The four firms are expected to present
their proposed designs to the public this fall before being evaluated
by a jury of design professionals and community leaders.
The Washington Canal Park will be the first public park built as part of
Mayor Anthony Williams' Anacostia Waterfront Initiative. It will be
the focal point for surrounding retail, housing and office uses and a
unique gathering space for the emerging Near Southeast neighborhood.
The design of the park will be inspired by the history of the Washington
Canal and also strive to incorporate state-of-the-art innovations in
urban storm water management. The Washington Canal Park project is
currently funded at an estimated value of $6 million.
The Canal Park Development Association is a non-profit organization
incorporated in 2001 to design, develop, construct, and raise funds for
the Washington Canal Park.
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