New marker commemorates Olmsted design vision

| By DES Communications

DeWayne Steinman, a DES Buildings & Grounds employee, is shown polishing the new bronze plaque that rests atop a granite base on the Washington State Capitol Campus with trees, bushes, grass, and blue sky in the background.
DeWayne Steinman, a DES Buildings & Grounds employee, is shown polishing the new bronze plaque that rests atop a granite base on the West Capitol Campus.

Washington’s is one of just 12 state capitols, plus the U.S. capitol, that carries forth the vision of the legendary American architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903).

Sustaining the original designers' century-old principles

At the Department of Enterprise Services, we work to balance the many purposes of the state Capitol Campus. State lawmakers, their staff, and state agencies need a place to do the people's business. And the people need a place to make their voices heard.

The original designers of the state capitol grounds set out to accommodate these needs. What they created was both beautiful and functional.

On Friday, May 23, we commemorated their vision with a new bronze marker.

The Olmsted vision

Hallmarks of the Olmsted approach include:

  • Use of the "genius of place" to celebrate the campus' location, on a bluff with a view of mountains and water.
  • Accentuating land and buildings with signature native plants and non-native specimens.
  • Siting plants so that they create patterns of symmetry and balance.
  • Grouping these plantings into groves that complement the grand scale of the campus' iconic buildings.
  • Plotting out straight boulevards and sightlines toward focal elements, such as the dome and the flag circle.
  • Interposing the straight sightlines with gentle, broadly curving paths, so that signature buildings emerge from behind stands of trees or memorial statuary, inspiring surprise and delight.

A place for inspiration and restoration

As the marker notes, the land it sits on is a nexus for communities, reinforcing the primary importance of people at the center of governance. It's been used by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. These grounds are also the civic heart of Washington state—a place every Washingtonian can call their own.

As DES works to uphold the capitol's role in the civic life of the state and its people, our choices continue to be informed by the Olmsted vision.

We hope that the marker helps all people to recommit to the vision as we continue to count on the capitol to serve the people of Washington state in the next 100 years.

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