Glen Echo Park | Mysite 1

Over two decades ago, I had the privilege of being part of a restoration project at Glen Echo Park—a place layered with stories, textures, and time. I was still early in my architectural career when I joined a team working to breathe new life into several of the park’s historic buildings, including the charming yet structurally weary Puppet Co. Playhouse. That project was more than a technical exercise in preservation—it was a lesson in listening and understanding what Quality Assurance (QA) meant for design as it transitions to construction. From 2003 to 2010, extensive renovations of the Park's facilities took place under the direction of Montgomery County and the National Park Service. Some of the Heritage design projects I worked on included: the Spanish Ballroom, entry signage/canopy and the Puppet Co. Playhouse, the Arcade building.

SITE

Glen Echo Park, MD, USA

DATES

2001 - Design Phase

2010 - Restoration Completion

TEAM MEMBER

Dan Chong, Architect (VITETTA)

National Park Service, Client

DESCRIPTION

Restoring the Puppet theater was a delicate dance. We sought to preserve its whimsy while respecting its age, maintaining the magic that had drawn generations of children while quietly updating the systems that made the space usable and safe.

Glen Echo Park is a place where architecture, art, and memory intersect—and it’s never felt more personal than now. Two decades later, my own daughter takes pottery classes in the yurts tucked into the park’s wooded corners. This has deepened my appreciation for what architecture can do—not just in space, but in lives. What we preserve, we pass on. The work we did at Glen Echo wasn’t just about buildings, it was about stewardship. It was about holding open the door for the next generation of artists, storytellers, and dreamers. A good example of this is the glass block stair case which I had designed to bring a generous amount of natural light into the building, but 25 years later, Lauri Hafvenstien has made it an art installation; something magical.

Photo credits: Dan Chong and Ava Chong