Trump-stacked panel questions column design on Commanders stadium
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Rendering: Courtesy Washington Commanders and HKS architects
The column-heavy design of the Washington Commanders stadium isn't classical enough for some on the National Capital Planning Commission.
Why it matters: The NCPC is a federal commission stacked with allies of President Trump — they have the power to make-or-break the stadium.
Friction point: "I appreciate the references to classical architecture," but the columns should be tweaked to "convey a sense of heft and gravity for when people enter" the stadium, said Paul Ingrassia, the acting general counsel for the General Services Administration. (Ingrassia was attending in the place of the agency's administrator.)
- Other critiques from the NCPC panel: 1) The column design needs "further refinement" to match existing monuments in D.C. and 2) the plaza should include classical features.
- The feedback for the team's architects came at the commission's first public meeting about the plans on Thursday.
Zoom out: The design was broadly praised. "I think the colonnade is an inspired choice," said Will Scharf, the commission's chairman. "Overall I think this is a really incredible stadium."
- One concern: How much light will shine through the columns into the neighborhood?
- "We have some questions about massing and how it aligns with the capitol," Scharf added — echoing others who requested renderings showing stadium views from a pedestrian's perspective on nearby streets.
What's next: The team and its architects will prep more renderings and potential tweaks for the commission's review.