The Trust for the National Mall has announced that from over 1,200 entrants 4 current and recent Parsons Faculty and our current Michael Kalil Fellow for Smart Design, Walter Hood, are finalists for the first round of its National Mall Design Competition.

The 700-acre parkland has been worn down over the years thanks hoards of visitors (25 million a year), marches, and certain bi-annual decathalons. The scope of the competition includes three distinct areas of the mall: Union Square, the Washington Monument Grounds at Sylvan Theater, and Constitution Gardens. Finalists were selected for each area, and will move on to stage two of the competition, and then —finally— a selected few will be asked to envision a design for one of the three designated areas:

The Union Square Mall Site:
Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio Renfro, partnering with Walter Hood, our 2011 Kalil Fellow, of Hood Design.
Jonathan Marvel and Rob Rogers of Rogers Marvel Architects, partnering with Peter Walker.
Craig Dykers of Snohetta, partnering with AECOM.

The Washington Monument Grounds Mall Site:
Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio Renfro, partnering with Walter Hood, our 2011 Kalil Fellow, of Hood Design.

The Constitution Gardens Mall Site:
Jonathan Rogers and xMarvel of Rogers Marvel Architects partnering with Peter Walker