The shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado touched us all. As a
community and nation, we were in shock or disbelief that such a senseless act could
take place in our community. At first, there was an outpouring of flowers, notes,
poems, ribbons, stuffed animals, pictures and other objects brought to Clement Park
to pay tribute to those that died, were injured or traumatized. From that initial
outpouring of emotions and disbelief came the concept of establishing a permanent
public memorial near the high school, a memorial that would serve to honor those
innocent victims but also provide a historic record of this tragedy and to deliver
a message of hope for many generations to come.
This site is dedicated to honor and remember the victims of the April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine High School.
Planning
Process
Three and a half years after the tragic Columbine High
School shootings, the Foothills Foundation and the Columbine
Memorial Committee unveiled the conceptual design for
a permanent community memorial. The design evolved from
a clearly defined participatory process that follows a
four-level diagram. Decision-making and design centered
first around those most affected by the tragedy -- the
families of those killed. The second established priority
addressed injured individuals and their families. The
third tier of design workshops and survey data collection
was held with past and present high school students, staff
and faculty. A fourth level of involvement brought community
members into the process through surveys and an open house.
Many memorials are developed from design competitions
that focus on an artist and designer developing a scheme
within a closed process. The Columbine Memorial was an
open process with these four distinct levels of participation.
The emphasis was always on those that were most directly
affected by the tragedy. The evolution of the design responds
to the priorities established for input and represents
the Columbine area community in its forms, ideas and materials.
Goals
In order to elicit the ideas and elements that were most
important to the victims’ families, the design team
presented a range of existing memorials both historical
and contemporary and examined with the participants why
particular elements created strong emotional reactions.
Workshop sessions over a two-year time frame eventually
forged a common vision for the memorial plans and fostered
development of a high level of trust and dialogue between
the design team and involved groups. With the evolution
of these sessions, a number of common themes were revealed
among the different groups. The outgrowth of the workshop
sessions and community involvement was that the overarching
goals of the memorial should be as follows:
- Create a respectful place where family members, members
of the community and visitors can come to gain an understanding
of the innocent victims of Columbine.
- Create a memorial with content and purpose 100% derived
from members of the Columbine community, and keeping with
the scale, materials and natural forms found in the Columbine
area.
- Recognize and honor the deceased, the injured, the survivors
and the community members.
- Incorporate the Columbine "never forgotten"
ribbon in the concept design for the memorial. In the
years since the tragedy, the Columbine ribbon has become
a symbol of community unification and strength. This specific
ribbon, designed in the Community will be re-created in
the paving or landscape patterns of the memorial.
The Memorial Plan
Visitors will find the memorial at the southeastern edge
of Clement Park and are drawn in by the sound of water
and a grove of trees. Volumes of rushing water fill your
ears, masking noisy park activities and providing a means
to transition into an introspective interior space. A
short gentle decline as you cross the threshold into the
memorial further emphasizes the solemnity of the place
and is intended to create a quiet, respectful demeanor.
The interior of the memorial is an oval stone outer wall
softened by a grove of trees in the center and low native
plantings around the edges. Steep landforms of the existing
hills gently fold back from the top of the outer retaining
wall. These hills surround a majority of the memorial,
embracing, comforting and protecting the visitor and the
community. As the memorial elements are revealed, the
visitor notices the inner Ring of Remembrance, and the
outer Ring of Healing.
At the core of the memorial, an intimate grove of trees
grows out of an oval of intricate landscape and stone
paving. The leaves soften the light surrounding the Ring
of Remembrance. This low elegant wall of stone invites
you into a circle of stories. The stone is etched with
words that are individual narrative remembrances of the
deceased victims; remembrances crafted from interviews
of the victim’s family and friends. While reading
the remembrances, the visitor may be comforted by the
sound of water coming from the opposite side of the low
wall. An intricate ribbon design fills the center space
and hugs the Ring of Remembrance. The tails of the ribbon,
inscribed with the phrase "Never Forgotten"
frame a connection to the outer Ring of Healing becoming
a symbolic link between the community and the deceased.
Forming the remaining structure of the memorial is the
outer Ring of Healing. Native Colorado stone forms the
space for the memorial out of the embracing hills and
is etched with the words of the community. A variety of
general text gathered from interviews of students, teachers,
the injured and their families, and other community members
tell diverse stories of healing, changes in the community,
and hopes for the future. The Ring of Healing starts low
near the entrance to the memorial and climbs towards the
back wall where the majority of the general text will
be concentrated. Low groupings of native shrubs and flowers
soften the stone and create an inviting garden environment.
Benches are located in welcoming areas to allow the visitor
to sit in reflection and contemplation.
There will be overlooks along and on top of Rebel Hill
providing panoramic views to the Rocky Mountains, the
eastern plains and the Columbine community. Another walk
arcs along the top edge of the hills and connects the
overlooks while providing an accessible route to the
dramatic views. Landscaped
terraces on the north hill soften the hillside and allow
for small gathering areas in which visitors might share
their thoughts and experiences with each other.
The exit to the memorial moves the visitor back through
the entrance corridor and once again directs their view
towards the Colorado foothills. One final quote (not yet
created) on the exit wall will disclose a parting thought
to take away with you as the sound of water reintroduces
you to the activity of the outer park and ongoing life
in the community.
Construction Process
Groundbreaking for the Columbine Memorial took place on June 16, 2006 with construction beginning in August of 2006. The Memorial was completed and dedicated on September 21, 2007.
