frank gehry-designed eisenhower memorial breaks ground

the eisenhower memorial — the long-awaited presidential monument to dwight d. eisenhower — has finally broken ground in washington DC. participants in the ceremony included members of three generations of the eisenhower family, ten members of the bipartisan eisenhower memorial commission, and the memorial’s designer, frank gehry. although the project has been in the works since 1999, it has faced opposition from numerous parties. last year, eisenhower’s family announced their support for the project after a new theme and revised design were put forward.

all images courtesy of the eisenhower memorial commission, 2017

with construction now underway, the eisenhower memorial is expected to be dedicated for the 75th anniversary of VE day on may 8, 2020. located at the base of capitol hill, eisenhower park will feature a memorial designed by gehry partners, sculpture by sergey eylanbekov, and a tapestry created by tomas osinski. the revised elements of the project include a representation of the site of eisenhower’s allied command of the D-day landings in normandy, and a renewed focus on the former president’s home state of kansas.

‘this project has been an enormous honor for me both professionally and personally,’ explained frank gehry. ‘I was 16 years old when eisenhower defeated the nazis and led america to victory in WWII. I had lost 33 members of my family in the camps, so his victory was all the more meaningful to me. his leadership in peacetime was as inspiring. he led the country with strength, but also with great humanity and humility. I hope that these values are captured in the memorial, and that it will be a place to honor and to learn from one of the greatest heroes that the world has ever known.’

aerial view of the eisenhower memorial model

‘we build this memorial today not only to honor a single person, but as a symbol for all generations of the greatness of america and what our values have made possible at home and abroad,’ added senator pat roberts. ‘lest anyone forget what can be achieved in the land of the free and the home of the brave, let them come here and understand what eisenhower, and america, have done. and what they, in turn, will do for themselves and for our nation’s future.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

tapestry image of the normandy coastline, featuring pointe du hoc