Design
Overview
• Design Overview (5.74 MB PDF)
Process:
Three parallel elements slipping past one another organize the site;
two horizontal and one vertical. Interwoven between these elements is
a paved ground plane abstracting the American flag with 13 strips and
50 lights. A grove of maple trees to the north and east help contain
the space of the memorial.
In contrast to the vertical wall and the 4 flags representing each of
the branches of the military, horizontal granite slabs act as seats
along the north edge of the private contemplative space. The earth-bound
siting of the granite slabs evoke the permanence and finality of death.
Inscribed in each slab is the name and dates of a major military conflict.
The site is divided into a ceremonial space (more public) and an introspective
space. The paved terrace to the west is by its nature public, while
the grassy lawn beyond the flags is designed to be a private, contemplative
outdoor room. It is in this private space that one is intimately in
contact with the memorial.
The vertical element, a black marble wall, has two sides, each serving
a specific purpose. The southern elevation that faces the campus, serves
as a backdrop to the campus community, and the northern elevation reflects
the intimate nature of war and loss. The public southern side features
an acid etched mural. The private northern side, however, is the focal
point of the memorial.
The northern face of the memorial depicts the soldiers lost as something
more than simply a name. Each soldier is represented on the memorial
by a stainless steel plate. Each plate, detailed with information about
the soldier including name, rank, hometown, birth date, death date,
department at Northeastern and graduation year, represents the dog tag
worn by soldiers during war.
By including information beyond simply the name of the individual, one
can make connections to the soldiers on a personal level. The dead become
more than a soldier, they become classmates, colleagues, neighbors,
and heroes. The names and other information about the 400+ soldiers
are etched into stainless steel plates, which reflect the faces of the
viewers. This reflective quality unites the dead with the living.
The stainless steel plate is designed to be touched and lifted; singly
reflecting the individuality of each soldier, and collectively representing
the mutual bond soldiers form in times of war. The plates are organized
by year of death, beginning with the opening of the University in 1898
and continuing to the present.
In addition, space is left for the unfortunate inevitability of future
conflicts. The voids created by the organization and construct of the
plates, symbolize the voids that have been left in the lives of the
loved ones and the community, as well as the loss of life experienced
in war. Contrasting with the reflective and movable stainless steel
plates is the black marble wall. This wall acts as the anchor and support
to the lost soldiers.
Prominent views of the memorial can be seen from Ruggles T station,
Huntington Avenue and Centennial Common. A fourth important view is
situated along the axis from Snell Library and the Centennial Common.
A small grove of trees acts as an edge to frame the view of the moment
people interact with the wall.
