War Memorial Plaza

War Memorial Plaza
Baltimore, Maryland

The site bridging monuments, markets, and Baltimore’s historic City Hall considers how to strike a set of tensions in civic space:

Can public space be a site for civic gathering and a garden?

Can a history of memorial be preserved and programmed for new, celebratory uses?
Can inclusive accessibility be introduced without losing the historic character of the site?

War Memorial Plaza encompasses approximately two acres of public realm in the heart of downtown Baltimore. Deferred maintenance, lack of activation and accessibility, car-centric planning, and stormwater concerns spurred the City to start looking at options for renovation. Unknown Studio was commissioned by Baltimore City Rec and Parks to create a design befitting of Baltimore’s front door.

Through engagement with key City Hall stakeholders and the Historical and Architectural Preservation Review Board, five guiding principles were established: raise the plaza to street level for universal access, honor the history, frame the plaza with green, provide a dignified foreground to City Hall, and prioritize the pedestrian. The final concept design was developed with these principles in mind as an opportunity to reflect Baltimore’s Priorities.

The existing plane tree alleés are expanded with native canopy trees to frame a central view corridor between City Hall and the War Memorial Building. Two seat walls frame the event lawn and connect the historic urns and flagpole bases. A sloped lawn from the seat wall to the event lawn provides much-needed sound attenuation as well as additional space for events. The sidewalk in front of City Hall expands to claim the inefficiently-utilized Holliday Street parking and drive aisle for a perennial garden and seating space that serves as a generous welcome to City Hall’s front door. Parking for key personnel is moved to the wings of the space within the expanded alleés to de-prioritize vehicles in the landscape of City Hall.