Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is an open-air public monument along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The memorial was constructed by the MTTG Joint Venture, comprising McKissack & McKissack, Turner Construction, Tompkins Builders and Gilford Corporation. The landscape-based design uses natural elements to frame the memorial’s central features: the Stone of Hope, a hand-carved granite likeness of Dr. King; the flanking Mountain of Despair sculptures; and carved granite inscription walls featuring some of his most memorable words. Solid granite walls were cut and polished to follow the design’s compound slopes, while Yoshino Cherry Trees and American Elm trees soften the setting and connect the memorial to its Tidal Basin landscape. The project was recognized by NAIOP DC/MD with the Best Institutional Facility Award.