Memorial design concepts on public display December 14-22

By Chris Isleib
Director of Public Affairs, U.S. World War One Centennial Commission

WASHINGTON, DC: The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission will publicly exhibit the five finalist design concepts for the national World War I Memorial in Washington D.C. during December.

These works will be shown in the atrium of the John A. Wilson Building, at the Council of the District of Columbia, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, weekdays, from 9:00am to 5:30pm, from December 14-22, 2015. The public is invited to provide comment on the design concepts online, and at the exhibit.

The historic John A. Wilson Building houses the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia. As DC's City Hall, the building is open to the public, and plays host to the city legislative processes.

The design competition for the memorial has been underway since May 21st, 2015. Stage One of the open international competition drew more than 360 submissions from around the world. The finalists from Stage One were selected by a special competition jury, and announced on August 4th.

Since that time, the Commission has been working with the National Parks Service, the National Capital Planning Commission, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and other stakeholders, to further develop the design concepts. The winner of the design competition will be announced on January 25th, 2016.

The World War I memorial will be created in downtown Washington DC, at Pershing Park, at the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The site was authorized by Congress in 2014.

The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission was established by Congress in 2013 to develop and promote educational and commemorative programs to honor the role of the United States in World War I.