Ceremony dedicates June 5th Memorial

Five years ago on June 5, 2013, something went horribly wrong. A building undergoing demolition collapsed on the  neighboring Salvation Army Thrift Store on 22nd and Market Streets in Center City, PA. Six people lost their lives and 14 others were injured. Fast forward to June 5, 2018 to the dedication ceremony for the June 5th Memorial Park, which serves as an enduring reminder of this tragedy.

The June 5th Memorial Park is a monument to building safety, constructed in remembrance of the six lives lost. The memorial, located on 22nd Street in Philadelphia, has three tall granite stones with two windows in each – one to represent each of the victims killed in the collapse. At the top in the center panel sits a seventh window. The engraving states “For those we remember.”

Madison Concrete Construction is honored to have been  involved in this important project. We assisted in constructing the tall “identity wall,” which is concrete with granite overlay, located directly behind the gathering space. Our team was also involved in all the site paving and sidewalks. Set within a spiral pattern cast directly into the pavement is the form of a constellation of memory that can never be forgotten. The paving used glowing aggregate, which, at night, illuminates with a soft blue glow.

Innovative construction was used to bring out natural qualities of the building materials, giving the memorial its unique character, including:

•Black and gray granites are finished in three ways: high polish, smooth, and rough cut.
•The concrete is exposed aggregate, a chemical process applied to concrete that reveals the variety of stone structure usually left hidden beneath the surface.
•Natural bronze metal screens add warmth and positivity to the space.
•An array of textured plants was selected for the raised beds and trees were chosen to blossom yearly around the time of the anniversary.

Significantly, all the building material used in the memorial is cut to a 5-foot square module, in remembrance of the date, June 5. View more images from the dedication ceremony on the June 5th Memorial Park Facebook page as well as Instagram.

This entry was posted in Current News. Bookmark the permalink.