A memorial park is a place of memorial to specific people or events. It is a place where one can remember past times, and it may also be a gathering space for the community.
There are many memorial parks throughout the world. This article will explore some of them and give a brief history of how they came to be.
History
Memorial park has a fascinating history. Originally known as the “golf grounds,” the land was purchased in 1918 after the war ended, and was used for memorials to the men and women of Allen County who gave their lives in service of their country.
One of the earliest monuments in the park was the “Life” sculpture, a bronze statue that pays tribute to Allen County’s soldiers killed during World War I. The statue is surrounded by a fountain and was unveiled in 1922 by two young girls.
Extensive research was conducted for the master plan of Memorial Park to understand how the site’s cultural imprint and native ecology can evolve over time. The final design is rooted in this research and will create a resilient park connected to the site’s diverse native ecology and cultural and historic past.
Memorials
Memorial parks are a unique way to honor your loved one and provide visitors with a place of peace and quietude for reflection. Unlike traditional cemeteries, they use dignified sculptured bronze markers lying flat on landscaped plots to memorialize a grave.
They allow you to create a unique memorial that is personal and meaningful to your family. Often, they are shaped or engraved to reflect what was special about your loved one and to pay tribute to their life.
This memorial tells a story about the SS Muskogee, which was hit by a German submarine torpedo and lost many Merchant Mariners. Sculptor Eva Escobar used a photograph that Captain Reinhard Hardegen took to create this mesmerizing tableau.
It is a testament to the emotional impact of war, and evokes an empty-inside feeling that most soldiers know well. It is also a heart-rending remembrance for the families that miss their loved ones.
Tribute in Light
The twin beams of light rise up each year from lower Manhattan to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks and celebrate the unbreakable spirit of New York City. Assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial, they reach up to four miles into the sky and are comprised of eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers.
The tribute is produced by Michael Ahern Production Services, and takes a team of 40 stagehands and electricians working closely for more than a week. The tribute is funded by donations from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and other donors.
The Tribute in Light was conceived independently by numerous artists and designers. They were brought together under the auspices of the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time to form a collaborative project. Architects John Bennett, Gustavo Bonevardi and Richard Nash Gould, and lighting designer Paul Marantz collaborated on the design of the installation.
Land Bridge and Prairie
The Land Bridge and Prairie at memorial park reconnects the north and south halves of Houston’s largest urban wilderness and recreation park, offering new trails and a dynamic community space to explore. Together, the project offers enhanced active and passive recreational opportunities alongside unmatched views of downtown and uptown skylines.
A key component of the Memorial Park Master Plan, this project was fast-tracked in 2018 with a $70 million lead gift from Kinder Foundation. Developed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, the concept for the Land Bridge and Prairie was designed to take special consideration of Houston’s history, people and land.
The tunnel system below the two hills will divert traffic and allow hikers, cyclists and wildlife to safely cross Memorial Drive without interacting with road traffic. The resulting earthen-covered structure enables visitors to enjoy expansive vistas of the prairie and surrounding green spaces, and effectively diminishes traffic noise.