Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio Odd Lots Projects

ALABAMA VETERANS MEMORIAL

The Alabama Veterans Memorial Park was conceived as a place for reflection, education, and celebration to honor the 430,000 Alabamians who served the United States in the five wars of the 20th century.   The experience of the Memorial occurs in three parts:  landscape, which embodies time; a regiment of columns, indicative of confrontation; and sanctuary, a place for pause, quiet, and resolution.

The park, sited on 22 thickly-wooded acres, rises 100 feet above its surroundings, offering refuge and separation from the city.  The ascent is slow, with various views of the Memorial glimpsed through trees.  Low, vine-covered walls surround the monument and frame the entry to a forecourt where a regiment of 36 concrete columns stand in salute to the raised flags of the five arms of military service.  Rising 20 feet from an elevated platform, the board-formed columns carry aluminum castings of artwork, letters to and from veterans, and 22 Medal of Honor commendations. 

Beyond the column regiment is the sanctuary, where the walls are etched with the names of over 11,000 Alabamians who died during service, organized by war and county of residence.  The curved concrete ceiling is held away from the thick walls allowing natural light to illuminate the etched surfaces.  An abstractly sculpted steel sentinel stands guard within the space, on axis with the American flag beyond.

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