The Importance of Designing a Monument Essay Sample

Monuments are an influential part of a society that can quickly become defining traits of any nation. Designed to immortalize the people and places that they have been raised to, monuments also require careful planning to evoke a sense of sentimental value. Considering the intended audience and reactions to a given building of importance plays a huge part in the construction process as well. The design of monuments in a material sense isn’t all that should be considered, it includes the given emotional outcomes of viewing the monument too.

Washington D.C. is a place that is built on nationalism and pride, being the capital of the USA. Therefore, it is a great place to build monumental structures. However, adverse reactions to any structure can quickly determine if it will stay around for long. When the Holocaust Museum of Washington D.C. was being built, it was surrounded in controversy, as people disagreed about the unintentional capacity to foster anti-semitism and invalidate experiences and atrocities that Jewish people went through due to lack of comprehensiveness. To combat this, the design originally made by a man named Albert Abraham was downsized and reluctantly approved by the commission, but eventually overturned to a different designer. (Source E) This demonstrates how even a small bit of indecisiveness in the composition of a monument can lead to adverse reactions from the general population. Another example comes from Maine, where the Maine Lobsterman, a bronze casted statue, was designed for the 1939 World’s Fair. Although it was never finished, it was still presented - and then eaten by rats! The inadequacy in the care put into storage led to the destruction of a monument that was quite signifigant. Not much more info is available on the subject, but from the destruction one could speculate that the population had lost respect for the statue. This could prove the fact that the design potentially affected the reaction to the final, almost finished product. (Source F)

Playing into the intended audience for a monument can be beneficial in its creation as well. Going back to D.C., the closeness of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial can really strike a chord in any American who visits. Although some may not have any personal connection to the Vietnam War, the monument lists names, American names, who sacrificed their lives for the amelioration of the nation. (Source G) A relationship to a monument doesn’t have to be direct, but when it's aimed to touch many, it can still impact anyone on a personal level. Going right across the street from the War Memorial, again stands the Holocaust Museum. People come to visit every day, and although many people now may not have a personal connection to it, supporters of the construction of the building argued that building the museum would contribute to the many stories people could learn about in D.C., and allow others to internalize stories about hardships of the past. (Source E)

Finally, sentimental value is one of the most important ingredients to a monument. Similar to a child’s favorite teddy bear, or a young adult’s high school diploma, monuments that can be recognized and loved by many may stay until the end of time. Take for example Crazy Horse Memorial, a few miles behind Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It feels like more than the faces up front, what can be summed up as “a forgotten album cover.” It is a testament to our past as a nation, and what it was like before settlers came and developed the surrounding areas. Although the monument may not emerge from the rock until long after we are dead due to funding issues, it serves as a significant part of culture for many people, and has the ability to honor the original inhabitants of America.

To conclude, although monuments may be a very important thing in any nation, careful planning must be put into place before construction. Crafted to invoke sentimental value, and built on importance, monuments really do have an enormous job in inspiring a population. If they are built with care, they have the potential to play a role in our society as a testament of time that will never be forgotten.