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| The KWVM was designed by Cooper Lecky Architects |
Korean War Veterans Memorial
U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Washington, DC |
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| The Korean War Veteran's Memorial, located on The Mall, Washington, D.C. is a National Monument which stands as testament to the one-and-one-half million American men and women who struggled side by side in what became a prolonged, bitter and frustrating war. They served as soldiers, chaplains, nurses, clerks and in a host of other combat and support roles. Many risked their lives in extraordinary acts of heroism. Of these, 131 received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Nation's most esteemed tribute for combat bravery. The Korean War Veteran's Memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995. |
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In the fall of 1996, Band, Inc. was retained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, as consultants to demonstrate and propose a new fiber optic lighting system for the Korean War Veteran's Memorial. A new system was deemed necessary by the Corps of Engineers, due to the Memorial's existing system's rapid deterioration and resulting compromise of the Memorial's overall appearance. Working in close coordination with the Corps of Engineers Design Branch, Band, Inc. developed a comprehensive fiber optic lighting design plan for each of the Memorial's key elements (see Special Features) while simultaneously engineering fiber optic systems built to withstand the rigorous demands of the elements. |
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| In two separate mobilizations, Band, Inc. engineered, fabricated, retrofitted and installed a total of sixteen(16) fiber optic systems featuring custom fabricated stainless steel projector housings, one hundred-sixty custom in-ground fixtures and over 8000 linear feet of waterproof, quartz crystal fiber optic cable. Band, Inc., through rigorous design and engineering analysis, produced a state-of-the-art installatioin providing superior illumination of the National Monument with a minumum of light sources, ease of maintenance and system performance longevity (10 years). |
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| The Statuary The Statuary consists of nineteen (19) 7 feet - 3 inches tall, heroic-scale statues sculpted by Frank Gaylord of Barre, Vermont, and cast by Tallix Foundries of Beacon, New York. The statues, made of patina finish stainless steel, required a high color temperature (5500K) white light to give them the ghost-like quality the sculptor and designers of the Memorial intended. By cross lighting each statue, Band, Inc. successfully rendered the finer detail of all nineteen sculptures, revealing the ethnic cross section of these American servicemen, portrayed advancing in column through the rough, mountainous terrain of Korea. |
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| The Mural Wall The Mural Wall was designed by Louis Nelson of New York, New York and fabricated by Cold Spring Granite Company, Cold Spring, Minnesota. The Wall consists of forty-one (41) Academy black granite panels ranging from 5 feet -12 feet in height and extending 164 feet. Over 15,000 photographs of the Korean War were obtained from the National Archives to create the mural. These photographs were then computer enhanced for image and size uniformity to create a mural of 2,400 images. |
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The images, which were etched into the granite panels, were evenly illuminated by eighty (80) adjustable, in-ground waterproof fixtures designed, fabricated and installed by Band, Inc.. Each fixture was fitted with a precision, rigid glass light guide designed to direct and disperse light transmitted through underground quartz crystal fibers uniformly over the entire surface of the Mural Wall. |
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| The Apex The Apex walkway or plaza is a popular gathering place for visitors to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. From its vantage point, visitors can view, head on, the column of stainless steel soldiers appearing to advance towards them. Here, the Army Corps of Engineers and National Park Service turned to Band, Inc. to design an Apex lighting system solution that, while providing safety lighting for the Memorial's nighttime visitors, would in no way stand out against the surrounding Memorial during daylight hours. |
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| Working closely with the Corps of Engineers, Band, Inc. designed, engineered and installed a dedicated fiber optic lighting system within the Memorial's existing flagpole. Next, Band, Inc. fed six fiber optic cables up into the pole from their underground locations and attached all six cables to custom fabricated (by Band) mirrored, adjustable downlight fixtures. Band, Inc. completed the installation by enclosing the pole-mounted fixtures inside a custom fabricated (by Band) stainless steel and lexan shroud to protect the flagpole lighting assembly from the elements. |
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