When a disaster or tragedy strikes, it leaves behind scars that need to be remembered. Public memorials are a way to do so.
The Memorial Park is situated outside the city in a natural environment soaked with history (the site was a wartime mass grave). Innovative construction brings out the natural qualities of building materials.
History
Before 1917, Memorial Park was a natural forest of native plants and animals. Then, that year it was officially leased for use as a World War I training base, named Camp Logan. County workers and volunteers speedily readied the area for campsites, including basic roads, water and sanitary infrastructure.
The Park’s native zoo became a regional attraction with cages that blended into the landscape. Local families donated animals and funds to sustain the zoo.
During the Great Depression, a number of men and women came to work at the Park as part of the Work Projects Administration established by President Franklin Roosevelt. Many of today’s roadways, buildings and picnic areas are the result of their efforts.
Design
The Memorial Park is a non-denominational sanctuary that offers family members of victims of the 9/11 collapse a private place to remember their loved ones. A pair of remembrance walls define and partially enclose the space, while a translucent fabric canopy provides shelter, masks outside noise and lets in light.
The design is intended to bring to a new level of meaning and respect for the lives of those killed in the disaster. It functions as a memorial and also as a cultural and educational center for the memory of those who died.
The memorial park is an example of a hybrid form that combines architecture with the landscape as figure-ground. This type of memorial has many advantages over traditional cemetery designs, as it allows for more flexibility in memorialization. In addition, the design can also provide visitors with a sense of nature and peace for meditation. This is important because the death of a loved one can be difficult to cope with, especially when it occurs in a public space.
Maintenance
Memorial parks provide a serene setting for quiet reflection and offer dignified sculptured bronze markers lying flat on landscaped plots. In contrast to the competing headstones of traditional cemeteries, memorial park markers are a subtle and tasteful way to memorialize a loved one.
This secluded open space offers a host of family hiking and camping opportunities surrounded by old-growth redwood forest. There are also miles of scenic trails and a secluded beach that are home to the marbled murrelet, a seabird listed as endangered.
The Park has been a destination for outdoor recreation for over a century. From the popular jogging trail that bears the name of Seymour Lieberman, which is nationally known, to the ballfields, courts and playgrounds, there are many ways to enjoy the natural splendor of the Park. Park staff, many of whom are veterans themselves, approach their work as a labor of love for their fallen brethren. They are a visible and caring presence to all who visit the Park.
Programming
Memorial Park offers a wide range of family friendly special events throughout the year for all ages. The park also provides an atmosphere of natural beauty, peace for quiet meditation, and a sense of dignity and honor to those who have lost loved ones.
In the 1930’s, the park was developed through a Work Projects Administration work camp. This federal workforce used older hand lumbering and construction techniques aimed at carefully developing the park with respect to its forest setting. Much of the existing infrastructure including restrooms, roadways and picnic sites were built during this period.
The NYC AIDS Memorial recognizes the ongoing sacrifice of New York City residents living with and dying from AIDS. It also honors the courage, selflessness, and perseverance of the men and women who worked tirelessly to save lives, combat discrimination, lobby for medical research, and alter the course of this epidemic. Located in Memorial Park, this dedicated space is an important part of the Village’s response to 9/11.