Architecture

Oshinówò Studio tops Lutyens-designed war memorial with glass prism to honour Sierra Leone’s Carrier Corps

Tom Ravenscroft

Editor-in-chief

Photography courtesy of Oshinówò Studio

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has unveiled a memorial to the Sierra Leone Carrier Corps in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Officially opened this weekend, the memorial designed by Oshinówò Studio sits on top of a war memorial designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens in 1931.

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While the original memorial honoured soldiers who died in the first world war, it did not include the names of the 946 members of the Sierra Leone Carrier Corps – men enlisted to transport supplies and materials – who also died in the war.

Oshinówò Studio extended the Lutyens-designed, stone memorial by adding a structural glass pyramid etched with the names of the Sierra Leone Carrier Corps men.

“The Freetown Memorial is conceived through a material symbolism that allows it to resonate across cultures and contexts,” said Oshinówò Studio founder Tosin Oshinówò.

“The structure we designed is, in effect, an extension of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ existing monument. By following its tapering geometry, the new monument rises higher, elevating the immense volume of names etched into glass. “

According to Oshinówò, placing the names of the carrier corps men higher than the soldiers was also a symbolic move.

“In this gesture, the Sierra Leone Carrier Corps are symbolically carried by their comrades, reversing the relationship between those who served and those who were served,” she said.

“There is a profound irony in this act: it becomes a fitting expression of gratitude to men whose sacrifice was fundamental to shaping the world we inhabit today.”

Along with the glass pyramid, the memorial also includes a laser beacon that will be illuminated on significant days of remembrance. According to the team, this column of light will be visible from up to five kilometres.

As part of the project, the 1930s memorial was also full restored by stonemasons and bronze specialists from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Recent memorials featured on Dezeen include a “serene and contemplative” memorial to Queen Elizabeth II designed by Foster + Partners and a park in Ethiopia dedicated to the 157 victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash.

Photography courtesy of Oshinówò Studio

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