Client:

Village of Glendale Heights

Engineers:

Fountain Technologies, Ltd., Christopher Burke Engineering

Contractor:

Landscape Resources

Category:

Public Design

The Village of Glendale Heights had a long wish list for its newly created Veterans Memorial Park. The village wanted a well-designed space that could accommodate everything from large crowds on holidays to individuals looking for a quiet moment. The village also wanted to build a memorial that would resonate with the community both visually and emotionally. Finally, the park would need to educate the public about America’s armed forces and take them on ‘A Soldier’s Journey.’

The landscape architect captured the village’s vision beautifully. The visitor’s experience begins along a pathway as educational signage narrates the story of a soldier describing his military experience. As visitors make the transition from the way to the memorial, the surroundings change as well. Within the memorial space, seatwalls capped in cast concrete are engraved with quotations to inspire thoughtful reflection. At the center of the space is a prominent fountain with a globe of rotating granite. Stone, both natural and veneered, serves as a unifying design element throughout the public space. Glendale Heights citizens now visit Veterans Memorial Park to congregate and contemplate, and local veterans have a place to honor their service, their friends and their memories.