Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial | Washington, DC | 2023

Landscape Architects: OLIN
Design Team: Skip Graffam, Anneliza Kaufer, Sarah Miller, Moya Sun, Randy Schumacher, and Siyu Du
Architect and Prime Consultant: CSO Architects
Client: The National Desert Storm War Memorial Association
Images: Courtesy of OLIN

The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial is an oasis, formed between two dune landforms rising out of the fabric of the National Mall. Nestled adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial is an oasis, formed between two dune landforms rising out of the fabric of the National Mall.

Nestled adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, two of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, the memorial is comparatively modest in size, but extraordinarily compelling in its layering of form and narrative of unprecedented international cooperation. Artfully carved bas relief walls are punctuated by sculptural elements. Collectively, the walls and sculptures convey the leadership, hardship, and success of American servicemembers.

Between the two walls, a central water feature commemorates the unique global coalition that came together in service and sacrifice to liberate Kuwait.

Each commemorative element is revealed slowly and sequentially. A visitor experiences the memorial by traversing clockwise in a “left hook” circulation pattern, which emulates the famed circuitous attack conceived by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The primary path rises subtly in elevation along its curving trajectory through the memorial, allowing the visitor to ascend through the space to the central feature, a place of solemn celebration and reflection.

As visitors traverse this path, they approach a series of elements which sequentially express the major themes of the conflict. Threads of bas relief weave a depiction of the conflict’s build up and crescendo, highlighted by a figurative sculpture of American servicemembers which commemorates teamwork and courage in the face of danger, the bond formed through that experience, and the post-Vietnam healing and transformation of American society following the victory and homecoming.

At this point in the wall, humanity is at its peak, positioning the memorial visitor to directly relate to the figures and their experience on the ground. At the wall’s apex are a pair of steel-sculpted raptors, representing both the geopolitical and regional context, as well as the speed and scale of the conflict - a saker falcon, the national bird of Kuwait, soars upward, symbolizing the newly liberated country, while a bald eagle flies forward representing the leadership of the United States in the Coalition.

The Unity Shield, situated within an oasis-like grove, commemorates the memorial’s central theme of global cooperation and shared service and sacrifice. This cascading water feature features an engraved edge, highlighting the Coalition countries that acted together to enforce UN Resolution 660 and liberate the country of Kuwait.

The complete ring of countries highlights the significance of this moment in history: a new, cooperative approach to resolving conflict that united the world and marked the end of the Cold War.

The Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial is designed as a sanctuary and a celebration of unity and liberation. Sheltered within the landforms, this corner of the National Mall becomes a sacred place, dedicated to remembering a moment in our nation’s history, which, though triumphant, was not without sacrifice. In the grandest sense – it is the place itself that is the most powerful commemoration. The sculptural elements and contemplative space ask visitors to remember a turning point in history as they gaze out over the Lawn toward the Lincoln Memorial – another symbol of hard-won liberty.