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Memorial Design Archive |
Memorial Concept 1 Prairie Architects initially proposed the creation of a new site element substantial enough to complement the Bandshell and add to its interpretation. It would provide space for donor monuments, plaques and sculptures to be grouped, taking pressure off of the Bandshell as the current favored object on which to hang items of this type. Rendered in Atlas White cast-in-place concrete, the Memorial is organized around a gently curving retaining wall the resolves the existing grades along Oleson Park Avenue with the newly fill graded performance field. Reflecting the sparce decorative detailing found on the Bandshell, the vertical face of the wall would be topped with planters rendered in forms similar to those used by Kamphoefner. The retaining wall intersects a ellipse-shaped platform elevated 6-inches above the surrounding grass. Centered on this platform is a newly created life sized statue of Karl King, Bandmaster, who faces the street and greets people arriving for performances. Mounted on the first tier of the raised three foot diameter pedestal is a continuous circular bronze bas relief sculpture depicting circus wagons, elephants, giraffes, and calliopes - a child's depiction of a playful circus parade, continuously circling the feet of the Bandmaster - symbolically the ground from which Karl King's most famous musical work sprang. This platform is accessed by two three-inch risers. By limiting the elevation change to 6-inches total, we were able utilize a short ramp of the type used for curb cuts, parallel to the retaining wall on each side. This allows for ADA access up to the platform. Spanning the risers leading to the upper platform is a memorial to the architect Henry Leveke Kamphoefner. Formed of monolithic white concrete, the memorial incorporates the original flagpole erected on the site in 1938. Kamphoefner positioned the flagpole on the center axis of the Bandshell, 126 yards to the east. It is noted on the National Register Nomination as a contributing element and acted as a formal counterpoint to the Bandshell. We have retained this placement and positioned the memorial around it. In a way, the flagpole anchors the memorial. Rising gently to the upper platform, we find other monuments and memorials. Bollards arrayed against a single Bandmaster's Music Stand, facing the distant stage, will bear memorials to significant donors. The music stand will bear a detailed account of the life and work of Karl King, subtly allowing the reader to stand in his place, facing the bandshell, while reading his account. Smaller memorials may be cast into the flanking benches. Two bronze plaques presently mounted on the facade of the Bandshell will be relocated to this area, returning the Bandshell to its original unadorned appearance. This platform is also accessed from below by 6-inch ADA ramps. Both platforms are surfaced in quarry tile etched with donor names |
Prairie Architects, Inc. |
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Karl King Bandshell Fort Dodge, Iowa |
Memorial Concept 2 This memorial design was very similar to the first, but used cast-concrete elephants to hold the memorial plaques instead of plain bollards. This introduced some of the whimsy and playfulness that is so evident in the Bandshell to the Memorial. |
Prairie Architects, Inc. -- 103 South Third Street -- Fairfield, Iowa 52556 |