Marshall Moya via Department of General Services

The District introduced a few revisions to the design for the planned Chuck Brown Park set to open later this year in Ward 5’s Langdon Park. Most of the sketches are similar to the blueprints presented in January by the design firm Marshall Moya, though there are a few key differences.

Most visibly, the amphitheater in front of the bandshell will no longer be fully seated. Instead, there will only be about 200 seats near the stage, with the rest of the venue being built as an open lawn. The original design called for a 900-seat theater as the centerpiece of the $1 million project. Replacing much of that area with sloping grass will also allow for the installation of more trees and greenery around the theater.

Other aspects of architect Michael Marshall’s January design remain intact, including a playground behind the bandshell and a wire mesh mural featuring several portraits of the late “Godfather of Go-Go.”

There might be further modifications to the park’s design, specifically with respect to the bandshell itself, and how well it projects sound. A letter to Marshall Moya from a sound engineering consultant states that while the shell is constructed effectively for musical performances, acoustic conditions for theater and other non-musical events is less than optimal. The letter recommends that the designers rotate the legs supporting the shell’s canopy planes toward the front of the stage.