L'Enfant Plaza is a complex of four
commercial buildings grouped around a large plaza in the
Southwest section of
Washington, D.C.. Immediately below the plaza and the buildings is the "La Promenade"
shopping mall. The
plaza is located south of
Independence Avenue SW between 12th and 9th Streets SW (9th Street actually runs underneath the centers of the buildings on the easternmost side of the plaza). It was built perpendicular to L'Enfant Promenade, a north-south running street and pedestrian
esplanade part of which is directly above 10th Street SW. The plaza is named for
Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant, the architect and planner who first designed a street layout for the capital city. It was dedicated in 1968 after completion of the north and south buildings.