Nat Geo鈥檚 Plans to Destroy MARABAR Put on Hold
On Thursday, May 28, 2020, the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) met to discuss MARABAR, the widely acclaimed (but currently threatened) site-specific sculptural installation by artist Elyn Zimmerman, which is located in the main plaza on the campus of the National Geographic Society (NGS). A proposed renovation of the plaza would lead to the demolition of the artwork. And in fact, on August 1, 2019, the HPRB approved the renovation plan in a vote of 7-0. On March 31, 2020, 独家爆料 launched a campaign to prevent the artwork鈥檚 demolition, asserting that the plans put forward by NGS鈥 architects, Hickok Cole, did not adequately address the impact on, and import of, MARABAR.
In a May 22, 2020, letter, NGS鈥 attorney Carey Kadlecek, with Goulston & Storrs, stated that 鈥淣GS was forthcoming in its plans to remove MARABAR, 鈥 but he also wrote that 鈥淸T]here was no need for NGS to specifically highlight the removal of Marabar beyond any other elements of the existing plaza.鈥 Mr. Kadlecek went on to say that 鈥淢arabar is not a feature of the Washington built landscape that draws attention.鈥 But as 独家爆料 pointed out in its May 25 response, 鈥淚t is unclear what the phrase 鈥渄raws attention鈥 means in this context, particularly given the attention the sculpture has drawn from academics and design aficionados in the form of numerous recent letters, sent to the HPRB, indicating that Zimmerman鈥檚 installation is of considerable import鈥.These and many other recent testimonials, alongside the extensive published body of scholarly literature on MARABAR (which Mr. Kadlecek has neglected to mention) are surely an indication of the sculpture鈥檚 ability to draw attention.鈥
At the May 28 meeting, HPRB Chair Marnique Heath affirmed 独家爆料鈥檚 position, noting that the 鈥渋ssue of the sculpture was not raised鈥 by NGS when the project was originally reviewed. Board member Outerbridge Horsey concurred that MARABAR 鈥渟hould have been brought to our attention鈥 by NGS. Citing majority opinion to reconsider the case, Ms. Heath said that NGS should 鈥渟trongly consider whether the sculpture can remain.鈥 The case has thus been reopened and will be .
