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Washington is a monumental city, a showcase capital with iconic views. And that's because most planned public projects go through the Commission of Fine Arts, a presidentially appointed panel established by Congress in 1910. The idea was to really lift the image of the city as an important international capital, and to really push that idea of dignity and beauty and all these thingsthat you know really contribute to the image of the city. The panel guides the architectural development of Washington, and advises the federal government on matters related to the arts and national symbols, such as metals and coins. One of its most recent high-profile projects is the new White House fence, which is in the process of being installed. Basically almost doubling the size of the fence and give it some kind of blast and ram protection.
So everything all the pieces had to be beefed up. And look good while doing it. Since the 2001 terror attacks, security is front and center. We try to make it not look so much like it's there, or find ways to make it feel like it's part of the visual environment. So it doesn't feel like you're going into a place that's really repellent, which we actually work to try to make it still feel dignified and welcoming. Pennsylvania avenue used to be a busy main street in front of the White House. It was closed to traffic for security reasons in 1995. The Fine Arts Commission had a hand in making the secured area visually appealing. At the Lincoln Memorial, the reflecting pool serves as a security barrier. But visitors wouldn't know it. The same is true of the walkways leading to the Washington Monument. It is pretty severe security, but you don’t really feel like it, because it's actually a beautiful curving ramp that goes up to the monument itself. Solar, storm drainage and the urban landscape, these are some of the newest issues to come before the commission. The needs change over the decades, but the commission stays focused on maintaining a high quality look, so that the nation's capital never loses that special luster in Washington.
Dora Macquarie VOA news
