Fort myers memorial gardens
Gundersen & Wilson Architects
Reflective . . . Contemplative . . . Somber . . .
Gundersen & Wilson's most overlooked project is not a building at all but a collection of marble faced interior and exterior structures, serving as a final resting place for many local residents.
Rectilinear and formal, the sculptural tombs of the Ft Myers Memorial Gardens are carefully positioned to create a sequence of courtyards that transcend the division between the built and natural environment. Space flows between the exterior walls of tombs and the manicured courtyards conveying a feeling of Zen. It is place of quiet repose, solemn but ever changing - a consequence of light and shadow reflecting on smooth marble surfaces and through porous walls of decorative concrete block.
The attention to detail is noteworthy; rhythmic rows of stacked marble drawers where caskets rest above ground contribute to the formality, adorned with only understated raised metal letters identifying those who have passed and an petite bronze flower pot hanging from each.
A small chapel and a mausoleum form part of the complex as well.
