The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation has revealed the official design for the public memorial dedicated to the 17 victims of the tragic Parkland school shooting which took place seven years ago on Feb. 14, 2018.
The nonprofit organization led a nationwide design competition for the memorial, carefully reviewing and evaluating each submission. After extensive collaboration with the victims’ families and feedback gathered through an online public survey, The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation selected a design by artist Gordon Huether of the Napa, California-based Gordon Huether Studio.
“We are deeply humbled and honored to have been selected to create the Memorial for the victims of the Parkland school shooting,” Huether says. “We believe this memorial will be a place where friends, families and the community can come together to honor and remember those lives taken in this senseless tragedy. This Memorial is not only inspired by love for the victims, their families and the Parkland community but is also inspired by the beautiful site on which the memorial is planned to be located.”
Huether’s design features concentric circles, with a central fountain and seating area surrounded by 17 limestone obelisks, each engraved with the name and a brief tribute to one of the victims. A meaningful poem will be etched into the plaza’s surface. Shade structures will provide comfort for visitors, while laser cutouts create shifting shadows as the sun moves throughout the day. To complete the design, 17 royal palm trees and an outer seating wall will outline the memorial, which is set to be located within a tranquil 150-acre preserve bordering Coral Springs and Parkland.
Parkland 17 Memorial Concept by Gordon Huether
“Our decision was not an easy one, so many of the designs submitted really captured the essence of what this Memorial should represent,” says Tony Montalto, father of victim Gina Montalto and vice chairman of the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation. “The public input is very much appreciated. Now we move on to the fundraising and construction stage so we can have a public place to remember and reflect on those who were taken far too soon from our families and our communities.”
For more information and donations, visit parkland17.org/donate.
Parkland 17 Memorial Concept by Gordon Huether