Attachment 14 - Applicant's response to Consulting Architect's Report, received November 1, 2017F I" a n k K o c a n Morris
Dear Mr. Mullin , Ca non Design Group
RECEIVED
NOV 01 2017
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
October 26. 2017
Thank you for your thoughtful comments on the design for the Los Gatos Veterans Memorial Site. 1 have
been traveling away from my hometown for five days and do not have access to the computer in my studio .
So I se nd this note in the form of letter and cannot add photos and artwork since 1 do not have them a\'ail-
able to me. But, for clarity, I will try to address your concerns in a manner that is logical and consistent with
your comments in the review.
As 1 ·m sure you know, there is no one perfect so lution for any design. Many different, good designers will
come up with many different, good de sign solutions for the sa me site. There i s, o f course, a reason that our
design has evo l ved to its current form, and that is primarily based on the specifics of the site that was
assigned to us by the town of Los Gatos.
Height of Walls inside the Current Design
To begin with, I strongl y di sagree with the proposal to reduce the height of any walls at the si te . There are
multiple re aso ns for this opinion.
I . Much like the Vietnam Memorial, our design presents the names on the Wall of Honor and should be
grouped into a di gnified presentation and see n at eye l evel as much as possible . This placement on the wall
would show the common respect that is de serv in g for their uncommon service and our gratitude. Many of th e
soldiers that are named on this wall have died or have been wounded fighting for our country. Their sacrifice
sho uld not be minimized or diminished .
2. The names should not be shoved down to knee level , which for some , reca ll a cemetery marker. After all,
many of our veterans are still ali ve .
3. Additionally, th ere i s no t a fixed quantity of names that will go on the wall. But, in fact, the number of
names in the list i s open-ended . There is currently enough free space for about 2 ,600 names . (There are
roughly 6500 name s on the Vietnam Memorial). The number of names o n our Wall of Honor will o nl y
increase as future families want to add their veteran to the wall over the years to come. It i s imprmant ro
note that a low wall would not leave enough spare needed to add these additional names in the future .
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4. It s ta nds to reason, that any visitor walking through the memorial , would still be able to see into the
parking lot , with its distracting motion of the cars, through the voids and gaps in a ny hedge if, the solid wall
were not tall enough to screen off the parking lot.
5 . Not to mention, that the sounds o f car noises and doors slamming would be heard through any hedges .
Conversely, that sound would be greatly reduced with a solid wall in place .
Alternative Approaches Used in other Memorial Parks
The other memorial sites like Cupertino that you refer to in your report have the gr.cat , good fortune to be
located in the center of a beautiful park where it is surrounded by trees , shrubbery, and green grassland. The
photographs that you provided of thes e other memorials , and the beautiful parkland behind the sculptures,
perfectl y illustrate my point of view and demonstrate why we need the taller walls that exist in our current
design .
A memorial that is placed in the middle of a beautiful park does not need tall
walls. However, A memorial that is immediately adjacelll to active pllrking lot and
a busy loading dock does need the taller walls to screen off those distractions.
There is a reason that a parking lot has not been placed d irectly on the edge of Arlington Cemetery in
Virginia. That would be disrespectful and cause outrage in the public mind. We have the same concerns for
our memorial. The prime directive of this memorial site is to create a quiet, contemplative space for visitors
to remember America's veterans who were wounded or killed defending our freedom s. We are not trying to
put a bird bath in the yard behind the museum. The public value and purpose of our memorial should not be
s ubordinate to the any of the town buildings nearby. To serve its purpose , this memorial has to have a
defined , quiet , respectable, and dignifi e d space to accomplish that goal.
Addressing the Limited Elevation of the Plaza Platform
The centerpiece and emotional center of the memorial is th e sc ulpture of th e eternal flame and the
''Soldier's Cross" within the Sculpture .
An elevated platform , even at a modes t elevation. is extremely important because it informs the visitor th at
the sculpture has meaning and s ignificance , s impl y because it is pl aced in a predominant posi tion s itting o n
top of a raised pl atform within the memorial. With the very act of s tepping up onto the plaza platform, a visi -
tor intrinsically recogni zes that th ey have moved into an elevated place of importance, both literally and
figuratively. Frankly, we would like it to be high er. However working with th e constraints of the site th at was
alloned to us, we unders tand the concerns a nd sensiti vi tic s about th e height of objects within th e memo rial.
It is impo rt a nt to note that most great statues and sculptures around the world are placed o n an elevated
platform that raise them up within an architectural sell in g . The alternate sugges ti on of building up a berm of
land that effectively locates the sculpture on a level with the ground, is clearly a less prestigious presentation
for any piece of art .
On a separa te note, I would like to ca ll you r attention to the ground elevation of the site, that slopes down-
wmd as you walk towards the memorial platform from Pageant Avenue. A visitor to the memorial can see the
parking l o t and all of the buildings be hind the memorial from th e sidewalks on all sides, which are higher in
eleva tion th an th e platform. Then as a visitor walks from Pageant Avenue and follows th e path downhill into
the memorial, the walls behind the flame sculpture then rise proportionally in height as the visitor descends
and reach the p latform with th e flame sculpture at the he art of the memorial.
So when you're o utsi de the memorial itself, the building and parking l ot are compl etel y visible. And when
you 're inside the memorial, th e building be hind is screened off an d you have a serene space for meditation.
Personally, I don't think you ca n reach a more elegant compromise in blending the needs of the parts, with
th e need for th e whole .
C hanging the Entra nce Path from the Parking Lot
The reason that I would reje ct an entrance from th e parkin g l o t throug h the middle of th e memorial wall is
qui te simple. A visitor shou ld not be walking along the wall of hono red veterans and then run into a large gap
that reveals the parking lot , o n th eir way over to view the flame sc ulpture. T hi s would break th e viewer's
em otiona l experience of the memorial. Seeing th e parking lot in the middle of moving th rougho ut th e
memorial, would jolt the visitor and break the mood, peace of mind, and tranqui l experience th at the
memorial is supposed to create and main tain .
We agree wi th the Art Commi ssion's mission referred to in your p relud e, wh ich states, "ill the case of a
memorial or statues. rhe design should ha 1·e rh e g rav iras a nd emotional impac t appropriate t o the persons or
e1•e111~ that i!t bein g memoriali:ed." We cannot ac hi eve that impact in our m emori al if th e parts of the existing
design that creates a protecLed emo ti onal space for th e viewer is dismantled or fragmented.
Presentation of the Historic Town Bell
In th e discussion of the display of th e town's hi storic fire bell , the current ver sion of th e design is cannot be
described as rustic . You may have seen an earlier vers i on of the design. But several month s ago. I vi sited th e
Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and took reference photos. The support frame for our bell is metal and comp l etely
modem and inspired by the presentation at the Liberty Bell museum. T he wall behind the town bell is a smaller
version of, and co n sistent in de si g n and shape , with the larger wall s behind the flame sculpture .
Compatibility with the Existing Town Center
My instinct is to follow the timeless mantra that , "rorm follows function." The new library does co-exist
well with the original design of the town complex . Of course, it is still, generally speaking, a box shape
which it has in common with the original building design from the sixties . That box shape is a natural result
of its form following its function as a library.
Additionally, the library also brings the original design from the 1960s into a more modern interpretation . It
takes many modern liberties by adding large , bold color light panels that constantly shift in color to the face
of the library. It shows many more windows on its fa9ade than the original town design, as per its function as
a library. Additionally the new library adds richer, more contemporary materials in its construction. Gone are
the basic red bricks of the old buildings. A giant , red box was added that juts out from the front facade .
Another design variation are the aluminum lighted handrails were designed for a modern building instead of
the old rounded bunker style handrails of the sixties.
Design and Shape of the walkways
All of the other veterans memorials that you reference in your review, also show the rounded forms and
curved pathways which are more pleasing, peaceful, and more spiritual. .. especially for this type of memorial.
We agree that these curved shapes are clearly more elegant. I also believe. they are very appropriate, and
consistent with, the artistic shape of the flame sculplture , that sits at the center of our memorial. Therefore, I
would argue that the choices made within our memorial design are:
I. Very consistent with the esthetics of the other veterans memorials cited in your photographs .
2. The color palette and the physical stone materials in our memorial design are purposely
consi s tent with the colors and materials in the existing town complex .
3 . It has been my experience that most people are naturally attracted to fluid, curved-shaped paths in a park
setting. Most find it soothing , lyrical and peaceful, whereas straight walks (and even geometrical forms)
often look pedestrian , impersonal or very corporate. This is not the tone we are trying to achieve .
The designers of the original town center and the new library had choice (and more control) where their
structures where placed on the grounds. We did not , and had to take the left-overs . So, our challenge was to
create a beautiful and thoughtful memorial space within the very cramped and limited ground space available
to us -a space that is also shoved up against a parking lot and the view of a loading dock .
It is worth noting that many of the town 's citizens have publicly commented about how well the Memorial
site complements the town Center and how it reflects the surrounding landscape . The gentle, curved features
of thi s memorial will not only complement the existing town center, but will enhance the west lawn with a
water feature.
l . The placement of a working water fountain into our design , is thoroughly consis tent with the fountain
that was originally intended as a part of the o ld sixLic s design in the o ld plaza. That original fountain is now
currently void of water, and now stands as a hot. dead and arid mass of concrete that everyone avoids.
2. This new water fountain wou ld re-introduce the sound of splashing water and will create a very desirable
reflected light bouncing off of the water. and softl y dancing across th e curved surface of those walls. T he
night-time effect would be magica l and would draw people like moths to a flame (if you 'II pardon the
expression).
Focal Point of the sculpture described in your Review
There was a distinct purpose for placing the "soldiers cross" within the stru cture of the internal flame itself.
In earlier designs for Lhis memorial. th e art commission rejected overly militaristic objects or military figures
due to th e sensibilities of the town of Los Gatos. So in the redesign, the concept of the sc ulpture was
re-imagined int o a more univ ersally pleasing form of art as an ete rnal flame sculpture which was inspired by
the Statue of Liberty. The "soldiers cross" itself cannot be seen from a di stan ce, and even up close, the gentle
distortions of the an tique glass panels crea te s a "ve iled effect" that sugges ts a barrier between the present
and the past. as well as the living an d the dead.
The resu lt is an attracti\'e and elegant piece of art that would enhance the sit e, yet provide an emotional and
moving experience for those visitors who choose to visit thi s memoria l to honor and remember their ve te rans.
Spacing of Objects on the Platform and Size of Platform
Of course, we would Jove to see a larger platform. including more space s urround ing the base of the
fountain ... if the town wi ll permit. Of course. we would want a wider border of grass surrounding the base of
th e platform than we have in our cu rrent design ... if th e town will permit. We, too, would like to add more
benches facing towards the front lawn ... if the town will permit.
We, too, would like to create a blended use of the park that is allractive whether a visitor is there to visit the
Veterans Memorial or enjoying a new park environment that blends well with enjoyment of the grea t lawn .
I hope thi s is helpful to understand and explain our design choices. Please feel free to contact me if you
have an) question or would like to discuss any of these details further. I only want a world class memorial
park for Los Gatos and a design that will truly enhance the town center.
Sincere ly, ~
Frank Morris
FrankMorrisArtist('g•gmail.com • S tudi ophone(901)454-4646 •Cell phone (901)292 -7699
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