In the silent depths of the Pacific, the ocean became both ally and adversary to the U.S. submariners of World War II. Their mission was to remain unseen, shadows beneath the waves. Invisibility was their only shield. To be found was to be lost and many were. From the state of Tennessee alone 87 Submariners gave their lives for the service of their home and began what they call the Eternal Patrol. In this regard, their service and thus their mission of silence continues on, making any kind of semblance or representation of their ship a fault in their charge. The challenge then was to create a memorial that humbly expresses the weight and nature of their sacrifice and the legacy that carries on.
A sea of concrete columns gives guests a sense of compression when inside.
The void of the USS Darter rips through the columns, leaving copper plates that host the names of the fallen. The sailors, in this way, remain the ribbing of the sub in remembrance as they were in life. The scale and weight of the submarine can be felt without ever revealing it.
This design respects the responsibility of silence these sailors held, not by exposing any representation of their submarine, but rather by exhibiting the weight of their absence and impression that they left on the war and our lives. Copper plates hosting the names of the 87 Tennessean Submariners lost in WW2 form to the contours of the USS Darter, the submarine assigned to Tennessee. The organization of the concrete columns in which the memorial floats also mimics the shape of the state.
The Tennessee Submariner Memorial Association awarded this design 1st place in a design competition with plans to eventually construct an inspired design in Smyrna, TN.
I often felt unworthy of the heaviness of this prompt. Honoring the ultimate sacrifice of 87 men who died around my age was challenging but led to a dedication I haven’t found in other projects. This was designed to honor the sailors and loved ones rather than simply attract visitors.
The experience from the exterior invites park goers inside with the same sense of mystery and disorientation that the ocean provides. Before entering, the true significance and breadth of the memorial is largely invisible yet, once revealed, clearly understood.
Wed 04/03/2024 - Mon 04/21/2024
Lee Victory Recreational Park // Smyrna // TN
35°59’47”N 86°31’09”W
Individual Competition 1st Place Winner
The Silent Service
WWII Submarine Memorial
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