 The memorial in 2022 | |
 Location in Manchester City Centre | |
| 53°29′09″N 2°14′41″W / 53.4857206°N 2.2446714°W | |
| Location | Manchester, England |
|---|---|
| Designer | BCA Landscapes Smiling Wolf |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Marble and bronze with Yorkstone |
| Width | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Opening date | 5 January 2022 |
| Dedicated date | 10 May 2022 |
| Dedicated to | Victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing |
| Website | manchester.gov.uk |
The Glade of Light is a memorial in Manchester, England, that commemorates the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing of 2017. It opened to the public in January 2022 and an official opening event has been planned for spring.[1] The memorial is in the form of a garden with a stone centrepiece inscribed with the names of the 22 victims.[2] Individual 'memory capsules' commemorating each victim have been included in the memorial and are situated within the stone centrepiece.[2]
It was designed by landscape architects BCA Landscape and graphic designers Smiling Wolf[3] on behalf of Galliford Try who completed the construction in 2021.[4]
The memorial is located between Chetham's School of Music and Manchester Cathedral. It is to be part of a series of improvements to Manchester's Medieval Quarter.[2] The former leader of Manchester City Council, Richard Leese, said that the memorial "promises to be a beautiful tribute" and the memories of the victims "will endure and Manchester will never forget them".[2] The council had described the memorial as "a tranquil garden space for remembrance and reflection".[5]
In December 2021, it was reported that the site for the memorial had been trespassed over after security barriers were removed. Reports of vandalism were passed to Greater Manchester Police.[5]
The memorial was vandalised on 9 February 2022, causing £10,000 of damage. A 24-year-old man admitted to the offence in April and was given a two-year community order on 22 June 2022.[6][7]
Background edit
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On 22 May 2017, a suicide bomber detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena following a concert by American pop singer Ariana Grande, killing 22 people. Almost half of all those killed were under 20, the youngest of which was 8 years old. The explosion occurred immediately after the concert with the foyer filled with exiting concert-goers and parents. Greater Manchester Police declared the incident a terrorist attack and a suicide bombing. It was the deadliest attack in the United Kingdom since the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
Paragraph on temporary memorials and remembrance events
Note on medieval quarter
Design edit
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| Names of those shown on the memorial | ||
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Awards edit
The memorial was well received by professional bodies, receiving awards and nominations for its design and construction.
| Year | Category | Institution or publication | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Special Recognition Award | Institution of Civil Engineers | Won | [8] | |
| 2022 | Landscape Project | Dezeen Awards | Longlisted | [9] | |
| 2022 | Other Landscape Design | LOOP Design Awards | Won | [10] |
History edit
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Vandalism edit
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Manchester Arena bomb victim's mum hails 'beautiful' memorial". BBC News. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Manchester Arena attack memorial garden given go-ahead". BBC News. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Glade of Light memorial opens to the public". Manchester City Council. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ "Glade of light opened to public". Galliford Try. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ a b Daniel De Simone (6 December 2021). "Manchester Arena attack: Families 'disgusted' by memorial trespassing". BBC News. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Manchester Arena: Man admits vandalising bomb victims' memorial". BBC News. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Vandal who caused £10,000-worth of damage to Manchester Arena attack memorial walks free". ITV News. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ https://www.ice.org.uk/news-insight/news-and-blogs/latest-news/news/winners-of-the-2022-ice-north-west-civil-engineering-awards-announced/
- ^ https://www.dezeen.com/awards/2022/longlists/glade-of-light/
- ^ https://www.loopdesignawards.com/project/the-glade-of-light/
