Westminster College Sculpture Project Wins Award
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W I N N E R PR JECT YEAR O F T HE T he Church of St. Mary Aldermanbury dates from the 12th Century. Following its destruction in the Great Fire of London, the church was redesigned in 1677 by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren. In 1940, it was gutted by German bombers. Only the exterior walls and supporting columns survived the fire. In 1946, Winston Churchill, who as prime minister led Britain through World War II, made his “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A year after his death in 1965, the war- damaged Church of St. Mary Aldermanbury was dismantled and transported stone by stone to Westminster College in his honor. Artifacts and information relating to Churchill’s life and times were later installed in the undercroft of the church and are part of The National Churchill Museum. The Museum and one of its major benefactors wanted a way to commemorate the 65th Anniversary, in 2011, of Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech. An unoccupied corner adjacent to the Museum’s entrance was selected to house a sculpture and serve as a ceremonial entrance and prefunction space for the Museum. The Sculpture Plaza was built by Professional Contractors & Engineers, Inc. The HOK Planning Group was the landscape architect and designer. Professional Contractors & Engineers mobilized to the Westminster campus on February 18, 2011. They finished work on time, just before the dedication of the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plaza on May 13, 2011. The design and construction team as well as the sculptor completed several onsite reviews and scale studies prior to the initial castings of the sculpture. These studies informed the placement, height, and desired level of detail required in the Sculpture Plaza. detail matters. Much attention was paid to the architectural detailing of shadow lines and the intersection of materials. The column to which the sculpture is anchored is angled at the top, drawing the eye upward. The angle allows the sculpture to cantilever outward, creating a sense of movement in the outstretched arm. The landscaping includes feather reed grass, green velvet boxwood, and royal purple lily turf. Behind the sculpture is a London Planetree. Four solid limestone Millblock benches provide seating for contemplation. The Hanover concrete pavers that were installed in the Plaza recall traditional London pavers. Their strong linear layout serves to visually connect the street to the sculpture. The linear design is reinforced in the landscaping. At night, the space must act as a welcoming spot for pedestrians as well as a beacon for the campus and surrounding residential neighborhood. There was originally very little light at this intersection, but with the added lighting bollards at the location of the benches and a floodlight pole for lighting of the sculpture, the Museum’s entry now conveys an enhanced sense of welcoming. The key to the success of the plaza is the delicate combination of the historic, natural, contemporary, and stylized elements. The Winston Churchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plaza achieved the client’s goal of celebrating an epic figure on the historically significant site. “While Churchill sculptures and statues are many around the world, none capture the ‘Iron Curtain’ address and certainly few capture Churchill the man in quite such a dramatic form,” commented Dr. Rob Havers, Executive Director, The National Churchill Museum. p Professional Contractors & Engineers, Inc. Winston Churchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plaza Fulton, Missouri The sculpture, which was designed by St. Louis artist Don Wiegand, depicts the dramatic moment when Churchill, standing at the podium at Westminster with his arm raised and speaking into the microphones in front of him, made his memorable reference to an “iron curtain.” The sculpture (an 800 pound bas relief cast in bronze) and the column to which it is anchored rise 13 feet off the ground. The column intersects with the base and both are faced with limestone panels. In executing the precise and complex geometry of the intersecting pieces, the carpenters who formed them demonstrated their true craftsmanship. The base is engraved with the words, “With a dramatic gesture, WINSTON CHURCHILL warned the world--- ‘AN IRON CURTAIN HAS DESCENDED ACROSS THE CONTINENT’ March 5, 1946 Fulton Missouri.” A major goal of the project team was to encourage visitor interaction with the sculpture. In a small plaza of only 3,000 square feet, every G ENERAL C ONTRACTOR (U NDER $1 M ILLION ) 24 MODERN BUILDER April-June 2012
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Modern Builder named Westminster College's latest Churchill sculpture "Project of the Year."
Transcript of Westminster College Sculpture Project Wins Award
W I N N E R
PR JECTYEARO F T H E
The Church of St. MaryAldermanbury datesfrom the 12th Century.
Following its destruction inthe Great Fire of London, thechurch was redesigned in1677 by the famous architectSir Christopher Wren. In1940, it was gutted byGerman bombers. Only theexterior walls and supportingcolumns survived the fire.
In 1946, WinstonChurchill, who as primeminister led Britain throughWorld War II, made his“Iron Curtain” speech atWestminster College inFulton, Missouri. A year afterhis death in 1965, the war-damaged Church of St. MaryAldermanbury wasdismantled and transportedstone by stone to WestminsterCollege in his honor.Artifacts and informationrelating to Churchill’s lifeand times were later installedin the undercroft of thechurch and are part of TheNational Churchill Museum.
The Museum and one of its majorbenefactors wanted a way to commemorate the65th Anniversary, in 2011, of Churchill’s IronCurtain speech. An unoccupied corner adjacent tothe Museum’s entrance was selected to house asculpture and serve as a ceremonial entrance andprefunction space for the Museum.
The Sculpture Plaza was built byProfessional Contractors & Engineers, Inc. TheHOK Planning Group was the landscape architectand designer. Professional Contractors &Engineers mobilized to the Westminster campuson February 18, 2011. They finished work ontime, just before the dedication of the WinstonChurchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plazaon May 13, 2011.
The design and construction team as well asthe sculptor completed several onsite reviews andscale studies prior to the initial castings of thesculpture. These studies informed the placement,height, and desired level of detail required in theSculpture Plaza.
detail matters. Muchattention was paid to thearchitectural detailing ofshadow lines and theintersection of materials.The column to which thesculpture is anchored isangled at the top, drawingthe eye upward. The angleallows the sculpture tocantilever outward, creatinga sense of movement in theoutstretched arm.
The landscaping includesfeather reed grass, greenvelvet boxwood, and royalpurple lily turf. Behind thesculpture is a LondonPlanetree. Four solidlimestone Millblockbenches provide seatingfor contemplation.
The Hanover concretepavers that were installed inthe Plaza recall traditionalLondon pavers. Their stronglinear layout serves tovisually connect the street tothe sculpture. The lineardesign is reinforced in thelandscaping.
At night, the space must act as a welcomingspot for pedestrians as well as a beacon forthe campus and surrounding residentialneighborhood. There was originally very littlelight at this intersection, but with the addedlighting bollards at the location of the benchesand a floodlight pole for lighting of thesculpture, the Museum’s entry now conveysan enhanced sense of welcoming.
The key to the success of the plaza is thedelicate combination of the historic, natural,contemporary, and stylized elements. TheWinston Churchill Memorial and LibrarySculpture Plaza achieved the client’s goal ofcelebrating an epic figure on the historicallysignificant site.
“While Churchill sculptures and statues aremany around the world, none capture the ‘IronCurtain’ address and certainly few captureChurchill the man in quite such a dramaticform,” commented Dr. Rob Havers, ExecutiveDirector, The National Churchill Museum. p
Professional Contractors & Engineers, Inc.Winston Churchill Memorial and Library Sculpture Plaza
Fulton, MissouriThe sculpture, which was designed by St.
Louis artist Don Wiegand, depicts the dramaticmoment when Churchill, standing at the podiumat Westminster with his arm raised and speakinginto the microphones in front of him, made hismemorable reference to an “iron curtain.” Thesculpture (an 800 pound bas relief cast in bronze)and the column to which it is anchored rise 13feet off the ground. The column intersects withthe base and both are faced with limestonepanels. In executing the precise and complexgeometry of the intersecting pieces, thecarpenters who formed them demonstrated theirtrue craftsmanship.
The base is engraved with the words, “Witha dramatic gesture, WINSTON CHURCHILLwarned the world--- ‘AN IRON CURTAIN HASDESCENDED ACROSS THE CONTINENT’March 5, 1946 Fulton Missouri.”
A major goal of the project team was toencourage visitor interaction with the sculpture.In a small plaza of only 3,000 square feet, every
G E N E R A L C O N T R A C T O R ( U N D E R $ 1 M I L L I O N )
24 MODERN BUILDER April-June 2012
