Last year, Marlon Blackwell Architects beat out 176 firms in an international competition to design the new Global War on Terrorism Memorial in Washington, D.C. This week the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (GWOTMF) announced that Kengo Kuma & Associates will lead the design of the National Mall’s newest memorial just across the street from Maya Lin’s Vietnam War Memorial.
AN reached out to both the GWOTMF and Marlon Blackwell for comment in regard to what prompted the switch. “The Foundation’s contract with Marlon Blackwell Associates ended in December 2023,” a spokesperson for GWOTMF said. “We greatly appreciate the Blackwell team’s contributions during the research phase of the project.”
Rather than addressing the elephant in the room, memorial organizers touted Kuma’s prowess as a world-renowned architect and designer. “After an exhaustive search for a lead designer, the Foundation takes great pride in announcing visionary architect Kengo Kuma and his team to lead the Memorial’s design,” said GWOTMF president and CEO Michael Rodríguez.
“His heart for the project, understanding of the Memorial’s global significance, humble approach, and eagerness to work with other stakeholders in the design process is beyond question,” Rodríguez continued. “All who come to honor, heal, be empowered, and unite at the Memorial will engage with a powerful design that all who served and sacrificed in this war can be proud of.”
Kengo Kuma & Associates was one of the five finalists shortlisted in the international competition. (In addition to Marlon Blackwell Architects, the three other shortlisted firms were BAU_Butzer Architects and Urbanism, Field Operations, and Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers.) This new selection, according to GWOTMF board chairman Ted Skokos, was a result of Kengo Kuma’s “professionalism, commitment to collaboration, and aesthetic vision.”
“My passion for this project stems from my personal connection to 9/11 when I lost a dear friend,” Kuma shared. “This Memorial will help the entire world contemplate the war of global significance that has followed that day of sorrow and the experiences of those who have participated in it.”
Kuma continued: “My team and I are eager to work closely with our many Design Advisory Council colleagues who will contribute to the Memorial’s aesthetic. Together, I am confident that we will create an enduring tribute to the men and women who have answered the call to protect Americans and the world from terrorism.”
AN will update this story when more information is available.
