On Wednesday, the Friends of the Washington Statue (FWS) held a ceremony for the rededication of the George Washington statue in London. The recent restoration of the statue and its plinth was overseen by Foster + Partners, who led the 2003 masterplan for Trafalgar Square, where it is located.
Russell Hales, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, said: “We are honoured to have worked on the restoration of the statue and plinth at the heart of Trafalgar Square. The project continues the practice’s long history of sensitively reviving heritage assets – and will ensure that the George Washington statue can be enjoyed by generations to come.”
Foster + Partners' redesign of the plinth preserves the historical spirit of the statue, while enriching its message with new inscriptions drawn from the speech by British Foreign Secretary, Earl Curzon, at the original 1921 unveiling. The steps have been replaced with new British stone and re-carved as part of the rededication.
The plinth also houses a new time capsule – also designed by the practice – that is set to be reopened on July 4, 2276, which will be the 500th anniversary of American independence. The time capsule is made from solid steel and contains proclamations from the Governor of Virginia and His Majesty’s Government, Mount Vernon soil, a donor roll, winning student essays from Virginia’s "Expressions of Freedom" competition, and a steel plate signed by Norman Foster.
