|
|
Hanover Square, future British Memorial Garden
|
Seeds from the Prince of Wales' Highgrove estate, stone quarried in Scotland, City of London-style bollards, slate carved in Wales -- such are the elements that will memorialize the 67 Britons lost on September 11, 2001, in Lower Manhattan. They are the carefully chosen pieces that will soon comprise the $6.5 million British Memorial Garden, a "living memorial" and public park to be constructed in the Financial District's Hanover Square beginning Tuesday, May 10.
The garden is the brainchild of Camilla Hellman, an English native who came to New York in the early 1990s and now serves as the president of the British Memorial Garden Trust. Hellman conceived of the idea as a way to honor the lives lost in the World Trade Center disaster and to signify the United Kingdom's commitment to Lower Manhattan's revitalization.
"British families will visit the World Trade Center site," Hellman says. "We want them to be able to go to a place nearby to sit and reflect and understand New York, and feel better and feel renewed."
Hellman founded the trust in May 2003 and soon after began the search for the garden's future home -- a hunt that ended almost as soon as it began. "We walked through Hanover Square," Hellman recalls. "I felt so comfortable there. It felt right. I knew it would be this treasure."
Her sense was more fitting than she knew, considering Hanover's Square's distinct British history.
The three-quarter-acre triangular plot was an original waterfront dock in 17th-century New Amsterdam -- renamed "New York" under British rule in 1664. Over the next three decades, landfill pushed the waterfront south and east, creating "Queen Street" (now Pearl Street). Houses were built along the new thoroughfare, including that of New York Mayor (1692-94) Abraham de Peyster. Soon, a city square emerged. It was named "Hanover Square" in 1714 for the accession of George I, Elector of Hanover, to the British throne.
The square's British roots were made even more noteworthy in the late 18th century, when the city converted most street names from Anglo to American monikers in honor of the newly established United States. Queen became Pearl Street, Crown became Liberty Street, Duke became Stone Street. Around that time, Hanover Square virtually disappeared, blending into Pearl Street. But in 1830, popular demand returned it to the map - complete with its original, British-inspired name.
 |
| The Garden is designed to resemble an English flower garden |
Plans for the British Memorial Garden will take Hanover Square's heritage to the hilt. For starters, its designers will be Julian and Isabel Bannerman, renowned landscape architects who often work for the British royal family. Married since 1982, the Bannermans have designed the space to resemble a classic British flower garden, built entirely with U.K.-sourced, custom-made elements.
Their concept incorporates native British foliage like yew and boxwood hedges, topiaries, and formal flowerbeds, with garden walkways paved in a dark, reflective stone from Caithness, Scotland. A lighter-toned limestone from Morayshire, Scotland, will be carved into a "ribbon of counties" representing the entire United Kingdom. A water rill built from Welsh slate will run through the triangular garden, between benches carved from Portland, Ireland, stone and iron bollards fashioned in London.
British victims of 9/11 will be commemorated in the "memorial railing" that will run through the garden, topped by gilded obelisks representing , Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
 |
| Kapoor's "Unity" sculpture will reflect light in its interior chamber |
Celebrated British artist Anish Kapoor won a 2004 competition to design the memorial sculpture. He is creating the 20-feet-tall, black granite work entitled "Unity." The monolithic piece will be hollowed in the center and polished to a mirror finish that will reflect light, suggestive of an eternal flame.
"It will be a very powerful piece, with a tunnel of light, suggesting unity, strength, and peace," Hellman says. "[His work] makes you feel like you're a part of it."
After nearly two years of rousing support and funds, Hellman says the trust is right where it needs to be, having secured Prince Charles as the garden's Royal Patron, hosting a visit by Princess Anne, and exhibiting pieces destined for the garden in London's Grosvenor Square. She and her colleagues at the trust continue to fundraise for the garden's endowment and ongoing-maintenance and are coordinating construction with city agencies and community groups such as the Alliance for Downtown New York and Community Board 1.
 |
| All garden elements will be custom made in the U.K. |
The garden's groundbreaking is now set for May 2005, with the bulk of the paving scheduled to be done by winter, followed by spring 2006 plantings and the installment of Kapoor's sculpture -- which replaces the 1896 sculpture of de Peyster (to be relocated to City Hall Park).
Hellman encourages downtowners to join in the trust's efforts. "We want the community to become involved because it's their garden," she says. "I hope it will become a part of Lower Manhattan life. We are honored to leave a legacy to the city, and to be a living memorial that reflects the relationship between New York and London."
Click here to visit the website for the British Memorial Garden and here to visit the U.S.Congress's website for 9/11 living memorials.
Visit LowerManhattan.info/Construction in the coming weeks for details about construction of the British Memorial Garden.
|
