Octavia Saine                                                 
Eisenhower Memorial Commission
(202)-296-0004
osaine@eisenhowermemorial.org

Michael McGill
General Services Administration
(202)-205-1624
michael.mcgill@gsa.gov

ANNOUNCING FINALISTS FOR EISENHOWER MEMORIAL DESIGN:
Second Stage of Designer Selection Competition Complete

(WASHINGTON, DC – December 17, 2008) – Four designers and their teams will advance to the final stage of the designer selection competition for the National Eisenhower Memorial.   The teams were evaluated last week in a two-day interview process.  The winning design team will be selected in spring 2009.  A full list of the finalists, including team members, follows this release.  Final lead designers and their associated firms are shown below in alphabetical order.

The teams interviewed last week included four core design disciplines: architecture, landscape architecture, lighting design, and information design, as well as a project manager.  This evaluation was the second stage of a three stage evaluation process.  The Stage I evaluation was conducted in October 2008 and resulted in a preliminary short-list of seven firms out of forty-four total submissions. The Stage II evaluation was conducted December 10-11, 2008.  Stage III will be held in late March 2009.

“The quality of the designers on this list and the unique viewpoints they present has exceeded our expectations,” said Rocco C. Siciliano, Chairman of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.  “We look forward to one of these world-class American designers creating an iconic vision for the Eisenhower Memorial.”

The National Eisenhower Memorial is being developed under the direction of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, a congressionally-chartered agency.  The Commission, in conjunction with the General Services Administration (GSA), is selecting a memorial designer by means of GSA’s Design Excellence Program. The selection incorporates evaluation by design peers, GSA architects, and representatives of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.  The Design Excellence Evaluation Board included peers in the four fields of architecture, landscape architecture, lighting, and information design, a first for the program.

A location for the National Eisenhower Memorial was selected in 2005 and congressionally approved in 2006.  The four-acre site lies between 4th and 6th Streets, SW, south of Independence Avenue.  It is surrounded by institutions connected to Eisenhower, including the Department of Education, which Ike founded as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1953, and the National Air and Space Museum which houses artifacts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), created by Eisenhower in 1958.

“One of these designers will have the opportunity to bring Ike’s legacy of integrity, leadership, and public service to the forefront of American thought,” said Carl Reddel, Executive Director of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.  “Eisenhower is overdue.”

The Pre-Design Program which defines the memorial design goals and requirements was completed in early 2008.  The first two volumes of the Pre-Design Program are available to the public through the Eisenhower Memorial Commission website, www.eisenhowermemorial.org.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
A memorial to honor and celebrate Dwight D. Eisenhower will be built on a four-acre site at the base of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission was created by Congress in 1999 to manage memorial development.  The bipartisan Commission is comprised of 12 members — four Senators, four Representatives, and four private citizens.  It is led by Chairman, Rocco C. Siciliano, and Vice Chairman, Senator Daniel K. Inouye.  For more information, please visit www.eisenhowermemorial.org.

GSA’s Design Excellence Program
General Services Administration (GSA) instituted the Design Excellence Program to provide top-quality design talent for federal clients.  The Program includes a multi-step selection process and the use of private-sector peers, while retaining the competitive requirements of federal contracting.  The Program stresses creativity and streamlines the way GSA hires architects and engineers, substantially cutting the cost of competing for GSA design contracts.  The Program operates through GSA's Public Buildings Service (PBS).

Media Notes: For more information or to schedule an interview with the Commission’s Executive Director or Executive Architect please contact Octavia Saine at 202-296-0004 or via email at osaine@eisenhowermemorial.org.

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