Winner of the fifteenth edition of the Best of Year Awards Winners 2020 – Best of Design 2020, section “Shining Moment” of Interior Design magazine, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington – designed by Gehry Partners and Observatoire International (for the lighting project) – welcomes visitors in a large square entirely made of limestone.
Passing through the large, paved area, you find yourself in front of two spectacular stone blocks highlighting the crucial moments of the 34th president of the United States’ career. On one side, the bronze sculptures representing General Eisenhower talking to his men before D-Day. On the other, the president, upright, with three assistants in front of a world map carved into the limestone wall.
The site aligns with Independence Avenue, while the front yard is crossed by Maryland Avenue, one of the city’s radial thoroughfares. Its trajectory marks a scenic route that perfectly frames the Capitol, connecting the Memorial to the National Mall and the city center.
