Architect Frank Gehry and his design team are proposing changes to the planned Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington after hearing complaints from Ike's family for months.
Gehry has proposed a memorial park near the National Mall that would be framed with large metal tapestries showing a Kansas landscape. At the center of the park, Gehry is making changes. He is replacing large stone sculptural reliefs with statues showing Ike as a World War II hero and as president. Quotations from Eisenhower would serve as a backdrop.
Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf stated in February that even if the project is done by a famous architect such as Gehry, the public would not support the memorial as is.
Wolf stated that he agreed with Susan Eisenhower because Eisenhower’s achievements as a child would not convey the full accomplishments of his life. The family had complained the design focused too much on Eisenhower's humble Kansas roots, rather than his accomplishments.
The memorial commission is expected to vote on the changes at a later date, but all the members voiced their approval of the changes.
