War Memorial Garden
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
To commemorate their war veterans, Dartmouth College commissioned Saucier + Flynn
to design a contemporary garden honoring the sacrifices of fallen alumni, faculty and staff. The site selected was an existing, sunken courtyard located between the Hopkins Center and the Hanover Inn. The space, although somewhat removed from the general campus, serves as a prominent pedestrian connection to the student mail center and Hopkins Center cafeteria.
The challenge to create a contemplative retreat while at the same time facilitating critical cross campus circulation inspired a design that was linear in form but incorporated benches, a fountain, contemporary sculpture and a series of memorial plaques. The sunken nature of the site and the fact that it is surrounded by building facades and stonewalls results in a protected microclimate that extends the seasonal use of this space into the late fall and makes it habitable earlier in spring. Consequently, the garden has become a popular space for refreshing breaks and lunches, casual encounters, as well as quiet contemplation.
