Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Washington, D.C. USA

The scheme developed for the plaza repeats a circular motif in white, yellow, and grey recalling Breuer's use of geometric designs for screens, walls, and ceilings. The plaza is transformed through a strong ground plane, a series of concrete planters containing grass, and white lifesaver-shaped canopies. The 30 foot diameter planters double as seating. The canopies, fabricated of vinyl-coated plastic fabric, are raised 14 feet above the ground plane on steel poles. In sharp contrast to the heaviness and somberness of the architecture, these canopies and planters appear to float. As this plaza is built over an underground garage, the canopies also provide shade on a plaza that was not designed to support the soil required for trees.