The Washington Monument is the nation's foremost memorial to George Washington and one of the world's most recognizable structures. In recent years, however, the grounds were not befitting the Monument, or the Washington Mall of which it is an integral part. In 2002, the Department of the Interior and National Park Service chose Olin Partnership to permanently solve the landscape issues by restoring its rightful significance and grandeur while integrating the new necessary perimeter security provisions.

The redesign brings resolution to the landscape deftly, illustrating security and inspired design can go hand in hand. Representative of this are the low 30-inch granite finished walls, modeled after the ha-ha barriers of old European country estates. These walls succeed in safeguarding against automobiles entering the site and also provide seating without distracting from one's view. The preexisting concrete paths were reconfigured, graded and replaced, providing more secure pedestrian circulation while additionally enhancing the site's beauty and disabled accessibility. New plantings, lighting, furnishing and a granite paved plaza at the base of the Monument breathe life into the visitor's experience and interaction with the iconic memorial.

The revitalized Monument landscape now articulates the site's character and identity within the context of the Mall, a harmony that has been missing for many decades. The innovative solutions brought to fruition on the Monument grounds attest that the union of sound security and artful design is not only possible, but can be functional, graceful and successful.