The architect developed it shortly before his death in 1974. Then it was decided to arrange a F. D. Roosevelt memorial on the Relief Island in the East River near Manhattan, but the economic crisis prevented these plans: they only managed to rename the island in honor of this President of the United States.
The island was then sparsely populated, now also only its northern part has been developed, so the southern end intended for the memorial remained empty. In the mid-2000s, the project began to move forward, and the official opening of the complex is scheduled for October 24, 2012. For the sake of its construction, it was necessary to partially increase the area of the island, giving its end a regular triangular shape, resembling the bow of a ship.
From the north, the park is adjoined by the ruins of a historic hospital, which will turn into a visitor center for the memorial. The park is opened by five copper beeches that form the base of an isosceles triangle, and its sides outline linden alleys. At the top is a "room" (Kahn's expression) - the actual memorial made of light gray granite and concrete, with a monumental 30 m wide staircase descending to the water. In the center is a block with a bronze bust of F. D. Roosevelt by sculptor Jo Davidson, 1930), and on the other side of it there is a fragment of the "Speech about Four Freedoms", which gave the name to the park.
It was the traditional State of the Union address in January 1941, when the United States had not yet entered World War II, but the foreign policy situation was already very dangerous. Roosevelt then confronted the threat from the Hitlerite coalition with values that the United States is willing to fight for: “In the future that we strive to make secure, we hope to create a world based on four fundamental human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is the freedom of each person to worship God in the way he chooses - everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which translated into a language that everyone understands means economic agreements that will provide the population of all states with a healthy, peaceful life - everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear, which translated into a language that everyone understands means such a fundamental reduction in armaments throughout the world that no state would be able to commit an act of physical aggression against any of its neighbors - everywhere in the world. This is not a dream for a distant millennium. This is the basis of the peace that can be achieved in our time and during the life of our generation. (A source).
A gap of 1 inch is left between the granite blocks that make up the side walls of the "room". Plus, their end faces are polished to reflect light, making these narrow openings even more visible.
Luis Kahn's project was implemented by the Mitchell / Giurgola Architects bureau practically without changes, especially since the architect managed to think through everything to the smallest detail, including the tree species and the quarry, from where the granite should have been brought. One of the most significant modern adjustments has been a 15-inch rise in the site's level due to global warming: since the early 1970s, the East River has risen by almost 5 inches and is unlikely to stop there.
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