Imagining a Sacred Space

Honing A Design To Create A Memorial Worthy Of The Names And Deeds Of Those It Will Honor

The Kentucky National Guard Memorial

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The Original Concept

• In 2004 Daniel Boone was chosen as a prominent feature of the Kentucky National Guard Memorial from the outset as reflected in this original concept.

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• Kentucky Army National Guard Facilities Maintenance individuals volunteered their personal time and expertise to advance the design concept.

• For the first time the overall circular shape of the memorial space was added to the design. It faded for a time but eventually became one of the enduring features.

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• Muldoon Memorials joined the effort creating a rendering and for the first time the shape of Kentucky was added to the design to remain throughout the many long discussions.

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• The water feature and bricks remained a central feature along with Boone but in a slightly different form.

• The concept also envisioned stone monoliths around the plaza of the memorial with information and images about the various periods of history and the fallen.

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• Muldoon imagined the Kentucky stone with stars where units were located across the Commonwealth as a backdrop to Boone.

• It soon became apparent that a star for every location in Kentucky that had ever had a National Guard unit in its long history would leave nearly no space black granite to contrast the stars.

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• As the efforts progressed Bender Associates Architects joined the fray to refine the concept and work toward construction.

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• Their refinement changed the stone monoliths to more inviting cantilevered signage to tell both the history of the Kentucky Guard and to hold the names and images of the fallen.

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• Historical images of the Guard in action were added to the stone Kentucky and The water feature was revised changed to remove the water pool for safety of children who might visit the site and also for ease of maintenance in future years.

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• While the commitment to Boone never waivered in the design there was much discussion on how to best feature him in the space.

• Here is one concept of a base stone for him by Muldoon Memorials where the Boone base would become a tablet for the names of the fallen.

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• Eventually Bender Associates were able to weave the many threads into a final concept.

• The board was able to whittle away to the heart of the memorial the placement of the names of the fallen.

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MEANWHILE WORK PROGRESSED ON DANIEL BOONE

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Original maquette submitted by sculptor Wyatt Gragg. A maquette is a small model of an intended sculpture – a first draft

of the sculptor’s vision

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The maquette was cast in bronze for promotional purposes.

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• The next step in the process was the creation of a one-third scale model of the final Boone statue. The scale model gives the artist his first real opportunity to give detail and exacting attention to what will eventually become a larger than life bronze.

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• Here sculptor Wyatt Gragg puts the finishing touches on the scale clay of Daniel Boone. The type of shoes and hat Daniel Boone would have worn became much discussed points in the development of the scale model.

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Assembled scale bronze showing details of Boone’s clothing and equipment

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• Design by committee is never an easy thing and Muldoon Memorials and Bender Associates will attest to

• But as the final few design tweaks were incorporated a final vision was becoming reality.

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• At last the end of the design process was in view. The lights from the plaza were recessed. The plaza itself was transformed from concrete to granite to compliment the Kentucky shape.

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• The long standing quotation on the front of the memorial was moved to the back of the Kentucky shape to make way for the names of the fallen.

• The artwork by John Hoza was removed from the back of the Kentucky shape with a promise to incorporate the Kentuckians in action somewhere else in the memorial design

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Nearly there

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Finally the Design Was Complete

• The sacred space was imagined. Long discussions passionately arguing details from light bulbs to flag poles … eventually ended.

• Everyone finally pushed back from the table content that all had done their best to honor their memories.

A Sacred Space

A memorial worthy of the names and deeds of those it will honor.

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