Nearly 1,400 people have signed a petition in opposition to Bjarke Ingels Group's proposal to demolish a portion of the Smithsonian Institution campus in Washington DC.
A concerned citizen started an online petition on 5 April 2016 in an effort to halt or at least modify the plans regarding the Smithsonian's Enid A Haupt Garden, which would be razed to make way for a new plaza.

The plans are part of the Smithsonian South Mall Campus Master Plan, which was envisioned by the Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and first unveiled in 2014.
The sweeping plan calls for upgrading outdated facilities and improving circulation for visitors to the site, which encompasses roughly 17 acres (6.9 hectares).
Part of the scheme entails demolishing the four-acre (1.6-hectare) Haupt Garden and its historic gates and walls, along with three museum entrance pavilions that are located in the park. The entrance pavilions lead to the National Museum of African Art, the Arthur M Sackler Galley and the S Dillion Ripley International Center.
The garden, which opened in 1987, would be replaced with a plaza that is described by BIG as a "carpet" with its corners turned up. The floor of the plaza would have glass panes, which would serve as skylights that enable light to enter below-grade spaces.
The petition garnered 500 signatures within two days, according to Curbed. As of today, it has nearly 1,400 signatories.

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