Eldora Veterans Memorial
Eldora, Iowa
The Eldora Veterans Committee hired RITLAND+KUIPER to design and guide the construction of a memorial to be placed in what was known as Deer Park, on a bluff overlooking the Iowa River valley. Deer Park had numerous existing features such as a visitor’s center with accessible parking, restrooms, and a park shelter with seating. The rest of the park, however, was in great need of transformation.
We were hired to create a master plan for what is now known as Veterans Park, with the Veterans Memorial as its anchor. The memorial design is founded on a pentagon layout, with 5 branches of service recognized with granite markers and flag poles in each of the faces of the plaza. The plaza geometry is extended into the switchbacks of the walkway coming down the slope to the memorial, making the plaza fully accessible and creating opportunities for the addition of other monument features in the future. The Veterans Memorial was unveiled on Veterans Day in 2019, and the momentum created by the memorial led to other transformations of the park, including a new playground and 18 hole disc golf course.
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Hardin County Courthouse Square
Eldora, Iowa
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Soliders & Sailors Park
Waterloo, Iowa
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UNI MPLS Commemorative Plaza
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa