Congratulations to James Corner Field Operations on their Honor Award in the Design-Unbuilt Category for their Tidal Basin Ideas Lab: 3 Scenarios for Washington, DC’s Tidal Basin.

Created as a platform for the exchange of ideas between designers, stakeholders, and the public, the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab serves as a critical first step in a multi-phase process that precedes the future design for the Tidal Basin. Three scenarios imagine unique approaches to preservation and memory…

“Curate Entropy” embraces the inevitability of decline and decay through a process of naturalization;

“Island Archipelago” allows the Potomac to flood the Tidal Basin and creates a new series of protective gardens around the monuments;

“Protect & Preserve” proposes a large earthwork ribbon with new walks along the river, fully protecting the Tidal Basin, monuments, and cherry trees while creating more parkland and opportunities for amenities and recreation. Without typical design constraints, the proposals put forward unexpected and provocative ideas that challenge conventional thinking and redefine the scope and potential for change.