Protecting Worcester: 2004 Worcester Firefighters Memorial Competition

The memorial tower and interconnected landscape of Protecting Worcester was created jointly with two architects, Kevin Cespedes and Andrew X, to honor 6 fallen fire fighters that died in a Worcester warehouse fire in 1999. Twisting and transforming towards the sky, the form of the memorial tower is derived from a Maltese cross which for over 900 years has symbolized firefighters’ sacrifice and protection of their fellow citizens. The open ladder structure of the champagne colored metal expresses lightness, transparency and hope.

The memorial tower is located within Salisbury pond. A series of boardwalks leads to the memorial, taking visitors through a fire timeline. While walking through the timeline, metal ribbons engraved with the events of the fire crisscross the boardwalk above, below, and beside the visitor, expressing the chaotic events of the fire and visually telling the story of the fire’s escalation. A fire wall made of red salvia creates a dramatic entry to the boardwalk.

The access boardwalks and timeline are integrated into a series of berms that obscure parked vehicles, provide nearby soccer field seating, and channel storm water runoff into treatment swales and new wetland holding ponds. This site specific water treatment strategy will mitigate the adverse affects of surface water runoff from adjacent playing fields and surface parking, while also providing a location for construction excavation materials generated from a proposed new building.

Design Team:
Kate Kennen, Landscape Architect
Kevin Cespedes, Architect
Andrew Richardson, Architect