Team Lashley MacDonald
To learn more about the Monument, please visit the National Monument to Canada's Mission in Afghanistan page.
Images of the Design Concept
Team members
- David Lashley, Landscape Architect
- John MacDonald, Architect
- Sandra Dunn, Visual Artist
Design intent
Our design expresses Canada’s deep gratitude for the commitment and sacrifices made by Canadians who served in Afghanistan and by all those affected by the Mission. One hundred and sixty-five graceful forms rise from a richly-textured Plaza, each honouring a Canadian who died. A delicate ripple of movement pulses through this monumental grouping, embodying the notion of wings. Glass inserts at their tips create coloured patterns of light across snow and night sky. On the Plaza, five plinths commemorate the values and contributions of major groups and communities impacted by the Mission.
Visitors move across successive thresholds and through the wings to a promontory that overlooks the Park and engages with the national skyline. An intimate place of personal reflection brings home the impact of individual sacrifice. Accessible pathways around and through this special place provide many perspectives on both Mission and this enduring symbol of strength and perseverance.
Transcript of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan Team Lashley MacDonald video
Video length: 1:30 minutes
The visual elements are photographs and 3D animation. The narrator is unidentified.
[Text on screen: National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan
Design Competition: Phase 2 Proposal
John MacDonald Architect, Lashley + Associates, Two Smiths]
[Rendering of curved monument shapes composed of numerous tall thin forms]
[Photographs of Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan]
Unidentified voice: “Our design for this Monument expresses Canada’s deep gratitude for the commitment and sacrifices made by Canadians who served in Afghanistan, and by all those affected by the Mission.”
[Animated aerial view of LeBreton Flats, closing in on the Monument site]
Unidentified voice: “Prominently located on Ottawa's LeBreton Flats…”
[Rendering of aerial view of monument design]
Unidentified voice: “a sloped Plaza evokes a landscape of Afghanistan that reflects the difficulties of the Mission. Five raised elements commemorate the major groups and communities that were impacted.”
[Animated 360 rendering of the forms composing the curved monument elements]
Unidentified voice: “One hundred and sixty-five graceful forms rise out of the base, each one honouring a Canadian who died while serving. A delicate ripple of movement pulses through this monumental grouping embodying the notion of wings. Glass inserts at their tips will create coloured patterns of light across the snow in winter and in the night sky.”
[Rendering of berm with an opening into the monument space]
Unidentified voice: “A meadowed wildflower berm distinguishes the quieter monument space from the bustle of Booth Street.”
[Renderings of interior view of monument elements, including seating areas, walls, descriptive panels, a textured plaza, a viewing area looking east towards Parliament]
Unidentified voice: “The textured Plaza rises as one moves across the Monument and through the wings. Beyond this threshold one gains access to a view of the broader context of both Monument and Mission. An intimate place of personal reflection is where the impact of individual sacrifice can be deeply felt.”
[Rendering of aerial view of monument design showing the accessible pathways]
Unidentified voice: “Accessible pathways into and around the Monument invite exploration of multiple perspectives of this enduring symbol of commitment and sacrifice.”
[Rendering of monument at dusk with the Peace Tower in the background]
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