Securing the Capitol gracefully
The United States Capitol deserves to be protected in a manner commensurate with its historic place in the country’s history. It is a magnificent building degraded in recent times with a stark security fence topped by concertina wire.
Throughout history, fences with limited access gates have protected treasured buildings the world over. The design of these fences often derives some aspect of character, care, and style from the buildings they protect. They are often beautiful.
The plan at top represents a quick vision of what could be done to secure the Capitol in a more graceful way. The yellow line demarks the defensible perimeter, a stone wall 24 inches high, surmounted by a visually porous metal fence perhaps in the style of the historic sculptural elements found on the Capitol grounds.
Around it could be a citizen's walk, lined with plaques of quotations by past presidents, senators, and congressmen. Visitors could walk around the Capitol, and see it from all angles. Pedestrian visitors coming to the Capitol Visitor Center would approach from the east on the central axis. Automobiles could be limited to entering from the southwest, follow a one-way loop, and exit at the northwest. Vehicular and pedestrian entry points are noted in red on the plan.
The topography of Jenkins Hill, the site of the Capitol, gently slopes down to the west. The proposed encircling water body would cascade down the slope, making a soothing ambient sound.
Now that proposals have been made to permanently secure the Capitol, I worry about what designs the security consultants will come up with. If we succumb to terrorists and only listen to security advisors, all capital cities will be ruined. Rather, I propose a simple, time-tested, and elegant solution for the US Capitol.
