Five Proposals Re-Envision a Resilient Tidal Basin
By Deane Madsen, published by Architectural Record, October 21, 2020
The saying goes that a rising tide lifts all boats, but what happens to national monuments, environmental landmarks, and other fixed elements of landscape when the waters rise and refuse to recede? That question is at the crux of the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, which showcases the work of five firms, commissioned by the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Trust for the National Mall. Those ideas are on display in a newly launched digital exhibition that explores possible scenarios and solutions for Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin.
Located just south of the National Mall, between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel—one of which serves as an inlet, the other as an outlet—the 107-acre Tidal Basin is a national landmark ringed with presidential monuments as well as cherry trees presented to the U.S. by Japan. Twice daily, brackish waters surge above constructed edges to threaten both trees and memorials with inundation; as extreme weather events become more frequent and water levels rise, the Tidal Basin is at risk for complete submersion.
James Corner Field Operations, Walkway. Image courtesy Tidal Basin Ideas Lab.