Formally opened by President Obama, this national memorial uses 50 slabs of laminated glass, cantilevering 2.5 metres up from the floor.

50 glass panels cantilever 8’6” out of the ground to form this new US National Memorial. Each panel is four-ply laminated for safety and stiffness. A variety of decorative treatments were applied to the surfaces of the individual layers of the laminates to build up images and text. These including deep acid etching, deep engraving and printing to create a graphic relief carved into the glass.

After careful consideration, annealed glass was recommended as most appropriate, given the lack of stability which might be encountered if the carved glass were heat tempered. It also has greater post-breakage performance in multiple laminates owing to differing crack propagation patterns in the various layers.

The glass panels are mounted in a continuous steel shoe below the finished floor surfaces. Lighting has been carefully considered and integrated to maximise the refraction resulting from the light picking up the engraving within the panels.

Significant testing for long term durability was undertaken, along with studies on the suitability for the interlayer proposed by the chosen glazing contractor.

Location
National Mall, Washington DC

Client
American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Fund

Architect
Shalom Baranes Associates