Plans for a Livingston memorial garden to commemorate the impact of the COVID pandemic have been unveiled by West Lothian Council.
The Remembering Together programme will be presented to the Council Executive next week.
Remembering Together seeks to create ways to commemorate those who have lost their lives, recognise those who have experienced loss and change, and celebrate the ways in which communities have come together, during the pandemic. Such projects are intended to bring people together to share and process what COVID has meant, and continues to mean, for individuals, families and communities.
This programme is fully funded by the Scottish Government and is coordinated/supported by greenspacescotland. It is focused on commissioning artists to work collaboratively with a range of partners, communities, groups and those most affected by COVID, to create an appropriate memorial-type project in each council area.
A community memorial is being proposed and would be located in Almondvale Park, near the Civic Centre.
The report to Council Executive seeks agreement on the memorial space design concept, which is based on the previous stages of public engagement and reflects people's experiences of the pandemic, and its final location. Other key points include:
• The proposal for 'The Ribbon' public art is to be fabricated with steel which will endure for many years to come with very little to no maintenance. The surface design details are reflective of nature, specifically of plants with highly symbolic meanings to allow for people to reflect on the feedback that many shared during the pandemic, i.e. the soothing influence that nature holds during difficult times.
• The project will see the creation of an outdoor and functional seating and reflection space with a central focal point representing community feedback that people want to have a place to interact with, as well as to gather, remember and reflect.
• Low ongoing maintenance requirement is a key feature of the proposal, which includes traditional drystone wall seating in keeping with that in the wider park, a centrally placed original focal point artwork entitled 'The Ribbon', partial screening of the site by subtle planting of native trees, low level shrubs and hardy plants, along with a new accessible path to the seating area.
• A single destination space within Almondvale Park, near to the entrance courtyard of the Civic Centre, located in an accessible public space, adjacent to the current public memorial sites for public service people and for the military personnel of WWII. The addition of the COVID memorial to this area fulfils another function to an already reflective civic space
Artist drawing pictured.
