Architectural Digest takes you to Washington, D.C. for a walking tour of The National Mall with architect Nicholas Potts, highlighting some complex architectural details hidden in plain sight.
The development of Washington DC, USA and the central area around the White House and the National Mall is due primarily to what is known as the McMillan Plan.
The Senate Park Commission responsible for the document is popularly known as the McMillan Commission after its chairman, Senator James McMillan of Michigan.
French and British influences
As laid out in the report published in 1902, the plan attempted to recapture the fundamental principles of the original L’Enfant plan for the Mall; to establish and maintain design standards for this area; and to extend the District of Columbia’s park system to protect views, natural and scenic features, and the city water supply.
Designs that proved particularly influential in their conception of the Mall were the grounds of Hatfield House and Bushy Park in England, and the great seventeenth-century French landscapes by Andre le Notre at Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versailles.
History and progress
The McMillan Plan continues to guide urban planning in and around Washington, D.C., even now and has become a part of the federal government’s official planning policy for the national capital.
Nick Potts brings this evolution to life, highlighting some remaining vestiges of 19th century D.C. while explaining how the city changed around them – including the White House.
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