Calgary Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Plaza, City Hall, Calgary, 2005

Commissioned by Calgary Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Tribute Plaza, c/o Parks Foundation Calgary, Alberta

Set in this vast plaza is an intimate space and a tower of light. Stone-clad walls embrace a space of remembrance, and a light, glowing, translucent lantern marks the plaza as a place of memory, celebration and hope.

the walls of memory
The paired walls are a metaphor for the strength and commitment of the police and firefighters. They create a public focus for an educational experience, and shelter a space for personal remembrance. Their exterior and more public faces are engraved with historical narratives, one wall for each service. The interior surfaces commemorate the individuals killed in service; small projections provide places to leave remembrances.

the lantern of light
The space within the two walls is entered from beneath a delicate open ‘tower’ of metal and coloured glass. The space beneath the lantern is defined by a series of paired metal columns - a quiet reference to the two services and the support they provide society. Wrapped around this refined, ordered structure is a simple, pure sheath of luminous coloured glass, gradually becoming more open towards the sky. Sunshine makes the lantern glow with an intense warmth and cast dappled light; at night it becomes a beacon of light.

On the far side of the municipal plaza generous stairs and paired tribute walls mark the approach to the memorial, linking the contemplative space to the park and the city beyond.

The artwork integrates the whole plaza. The intimate place of memory is linked to the ceremonial entry at the Tribute Walls. The educational and individual memorials are separated from the ceremonial approach, while creating a dynamic between the two – this extends the visual impact, suggests a procession across the plaza, and defines the expanse of the plaza as the area of commemoration, unifying it into a single tribute space.

Walls of Memory/Lantern of Light encourages contemplation and remembrance, both for individuals and groups; it is also an active place, inviting, a focal point for school groups, graduations, celebrations, memorials. Walls of Memory/Lantern of Light creates a place that is respectful, honouring and timeless.