Friedrich St.Florian - Memorial Designer![]() Since 1974 he has worked as a professional architect in the United States. Keeping his base of operations in Rhode Island, he heads the firm Friedrich St.Florian Architects. He is also a Fellow with the American Institute of Architects. Among his noted works are the commercial venture Providence Place and the Providence Skybridge, both in Rhode Island. In the span of his career he has won several awards for his work, and in 2006 Brown University honored him with the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. His signature work is the design of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. His vision emerged victorious in a competition in 1997 from over 400 other entrants who vied for the project. He remembered the challenge of protecting the view between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, as the new memorial would be placed between the two, as well as encompassing the Rainbow Pool which rests at the west end of the Reflecting Pool. St.Florian remembered “I made that sketch showing the plaza sunken into the ground, with earth berms on the side. I looked up and I said, ‘I think we have a winning design!’” On site work began in earnest in 2001, with the memorial opening for the public in April of 2004, and a formal dedication over Memorial Day weekend of that year. Ray Kaskey - Sculptor![]()
Nick Benson - Inscription Artist![]() |
Last updated: October 4, 2021