The Landscape Architect’s Guide to

Upper and Lower Senate Garden

Your Guide

The Upper and Lower Senate Park is located between Constitution Avenue, NW, and D Street, NE, and 1st Street and Louisiana Ave, NW. The park is divided into two distinct sections. The lower section contains a shallow rectangular reflecting pool flanked by wide pathways and fountains, and is bounded by two sets of steps, while the upper section is centered on a large fountain and plaza and a tree-lined lawn panel connecting to the Senate and Capitol grounds. Between 1910 and 1927, numerous plans were made for this parcel of land. Until 1927, the site was home to a series of temporary buildings known as the Government Hotels as well as numerous homes and the Maltby Building. Architects Daniel Burnham and Thomas Hastings proposed sketches that were monumental in nature, while landscape architect Samuel Parsons proposed the land be developed in conformance with the existing Capitol Grounds.

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A Commanding View

The reflecting pool and fountains in the Senate gardens are laid out on the north-south axis of the U.S. Capitol.

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Entering the Lower Senate Gardens

A colorful mix of perennials flank a walkway to the lower Senate Gardens.

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Movers and Shakers

Gnarled trunks of mature cherry trees seem to dance along the edges of Lower Senate Garden.

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The Lower Garden's Fountain

A trio of scalloped fountains are flanked by steps leading to the upper fountain and plaza.

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The Upper Garden's Fountain

A notable feature of the site is the Senate Garage Fountain, which deserves a more creative name. Constructed from Minnesota pink and green granite and Mt. Airy granite, this ornate water feature was built atop the parking garage for members and staff of the Senate.

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A Sense of Scale

Surrounding the central fountain is a large expanse of paved surface which seems to overtake the space, and the lack of ample seating detracts visitors from lingering here.

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A Destination?

Colorful gestures of well-maintained flower beds and planting areas contrast with the cracked, faded paving and disjointed materials. It feels like this space is used more as a place for passing through than a destination in itself. Certainly its location, directly in the commuter’s path between the Capitol and Union Station, provides an opportunity for more of a design impact.

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Contrasting Materials

A speckled granite bench and orderly plantings sharply contrast with the carelessly-patched paving in the foreground.

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History Marker

Today, despite some attractive features in a park-like setting, the site still reflects a sense of ambiguity about its identity and shows little trace of its past history, other than this marker in the upper portion of the site.

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View of the Upper Senate Garden

A large mature tree canopy provides a shaded seating area over the upper lawn panel and helps reduce the urban heat island effect. Other environmental benefits include the use of recirculating water in the fountains and the absorption of stormwater runoff from surrounding buildings into planted areas.

Image: Liz Guthrie