Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony, is also the home of one of my favorite spaces in all of Seattle, The Garden of Remembrance. This garden is a memorial to honor men and women from the state of Washington killed in military service since 1941.
It might seem odd that a war memorial is one of my favorite places in the city.
But this garden is an example of how a well-designed public space can serve the diverse needs of a community. This is more than a memorial. It is a beautiful garden, offering relief from the glass and steel highrise environment around it. It is a gathering place. It is a place to relax, read a book or eat lunch in the sun.
Two rows of panels, one along the sidewalk and one on an inner walkway, list the names of the conflicts and those lost. Along with the names are quotes from letters home, both from and about those who served:
And finally, there is this bit of poetry:
