Edward A. Garmatz Federal Office Building Plaza

Garmatz Federal Office Building

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Project: Plaza and Sugarman Sculpture

Description: The site design concept completely reworked the pre-existing plaza, which all agreed was a stark and windy space. To accomplish this goal, the design reintroduced planting to the site to reduce the vast expanse of paving and create physical elements that reflected human scale. The philosophy behind the design was to create the improved plaza in a manner that responded to the natural landform and reinstated regional context to the site.

Inspiration was drawn from local history. The design of the fountain, with its textural stone walls, functional weirs, and water races, recalls the form of the mill sites that once were commonly found along the regional waterways. The resulting park is a vibrant, lush, and inviting place of relaxation. The design relocates a unique George Sugarman sculpture from a bleak, huddled location to a plaza often crowded with people.

The remaining perimeter of the site was secured by a series of highly integrated sculptural objects.  This vehicular barrier is established by a unique solution that includes a series of pyramidal concrete monoliths that are pinned in place. The combination of the sheer mass of the reinforced concrete and the structural connection is sufficient to prevent vehicles from penetrating the inner zone of the campus.  Trucks and cars are thereby held back from gaining access to the immediate vicinity of the office tower at ground level.