John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial

The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial is a monument to the late U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, Texas (USA) erected in 1970.__NOTOC__

Description

The monument stands 30 feet (9 m) high, 50 feet (15.2 m) long and 50 feet (15.2 m) wide. Crafted of pre-fabricated white concrete, it is reinforced with steel beams within its walls. The four walls form a room open to the sky. Its architecture is described as minimalist, as the creation was downgraded from marble to concrete in 1970. The open-air structure resembles an empty tomb, or cenotaph.

Architect

The JFK Memorial is the first memorial by famed American architect and Kennedy family friend, Philip Johnson. The monument was approved by Jacqueline Kennedy herself.

Funding

Unlike most memorials, the citizens of Dallas funded its construction entirely.

Controversy

Many today believe the monument is not fitting for Kennedy. Noted architectural critic Witold Rybczynski wrote that the monument is "poorly done," likening its precast concrete slab walls to "mammoth Lego blocks." He summarized the opinions of many Dallasites that Kennedy "deserved better than this." [cite web | url=http://www.slate.com/id/2135985/ | last=Rybczynski | first=Witold | authorlink=Witold Rybczynski | title=The Interpreter | date=2006-02-15 | accessdate=2008-04-06 | work=Slate | publisher=Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive Co.] In 2000, a panel of experts wrote an explanation of the memorial to satisfy the public. Currently, Dallas has no plans to further alter the memorial.

External links

* [http://www.cadenhead.org/workbench/news/2882/remembering-kennedy-memorial Remembering the Kennedy Memorial]

References

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