Monumental Washington D.C.

For this week’s blog, I went back to a city that I was fortunate enough to visit: Washington D.C. 

Washington D.C. has many monuments and a city plan to emphasize its importance and centrality in the United States. One of the pivotal sections of the city is the National Mall where monuments stand in a display of America’s power and identity. 

One of the structures around the National Mall is the United States Capitol Building, the meeting place of the U.S. Congress. This massive building is located at eastern end of the National Mall and sits on top of the Capitol Hill. It has elements of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture in its design with the large dome and the columns on each side of the structure. From its location on the Capitol Hill, it looms over the National Mall, giving a sense of dominance and power both with its size and design. This structure was used as an origin for how D.C. was planned and how the quadrants of D.C. were divided, making it a symbolic and physical epicenter to the political heart of the United States. 

The United States Capitol Building
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_Capitol_west_front_edit2.jpg
(accessed April 12, 2013).

The United States Capitol Building
(from a location off of the National Mall).

The United States Capitol Building
(from Old Post Office Tower). 

I would also like to mention another monument, the National Monument, which stands on the opposite end of the National Mall. This structure is an obelisk built to commemorate George Washington. I didn’t know its significance when I went, but I still thought it was both a beautiful and awe inspiring monument. This obelisk is seen not only in D.C. but in other places like Paris, Egypt, Rome, and the United Kingdom; it is a symbol of power going back millennia to represent the strength of a leader and a nation. To have two such structures communicates not only power and strength, but a sense of history. 

The National Monument

The National Mall is used to draw the individual (it is also used for political events and ceremonies) and orient them on certain planned paths. The National Mall is very long and wide and holds some of the greatest monuments known today. Among the buildings in a section of the city that was designed to reflect the core of America’s power, it is hard not to feel awed.

Aerial View of National Mall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themallwiki.jpg
(accessed April 12, 2013).

That’s all for now and unfortunately this is my last blog, but it’s been a great adventure traveling around the world to discover amazing cities and architectural masterpieces. I hope you’ve also had a great time! 

I'm off.