Dwight David Eisenhower was a commander of the D-Day invasion, who entered politics after military service, and served as President. An impressive figure in the history of the United States. After years of debate and negotiations a memorial was built on Independence Avenue in Washington DC, across the street from the Air and Space Museum, just across the corner from the American Indian Museum. It is a block wide, and a couple hundred feet deep. I find it unimpressive, there is a lot of open space, the attempt at a metal tapestry is nearly impossible to visualize.
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| Like last week's entry, exit the DC subway system at L'Enfant Plaza exit A on the upper level, and walk straight ahead when you reach the top of the escalators. There are three exits from this station, the other two will leave you lost in official office spaces. |
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| The massive metal lattice work has a mural woven into it. I have never seen it when the light made it easy to see the art that is intended. |
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| Here you can see some of the lines of the tapestry in the metal screen. The building behind, the Department of Education, at least as long as it exists. |
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| The Eisenhower Memorial is just across the block from the National Museum of the American Indian, both are in the shadow of Capitol Hill. |
A rather boring, mundane building for a great man. I think that is why I never was able to really get "into" DC. So much of the architecture there with exception to a few places looks too plain, boring and flat.
ReplyDeleteThe brutalist boxes of the post war era.
DeleteMaybe the Indian museum might be more interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt is
DeleteThe memorial went up after my last visit, so I haven’t seen it in person. I’ve seen lots of photos. Very cool at night. Hard to tell what it is during the day.
ReplyDeleteIt is not entirely successful.
DeleteClearly the lattice doesn't work; and the whole thing seems sort of an afterthought which is kind of sad.
ReplyDeleteTo many compromises made in the design.
DeleteI doubt that a memorial will ever be created in honour of the numbskull who came up the idea of the huge metal lattice work.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, I think it was a famous architect, they often regret saying yes to DC projects.
DeleteIt was a Polish "artist", architect and industrial designer called Tomas Osinski - clearly out of tune with ordinary people's tastes in the field of memorials.
DeleteI didn't even know about this memorial.
ReplyDeleteThe next time you are in town.
DeleteI love walking in DC...memorials everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWith a little knowledge of the subway system, it is a very transit and walking friendly city.
DeleteIke was the first president I can remember as a child as I was born in 1950. The first presidential campaign I can remember is John F. Kennedy's. We were so excited when he won.
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