INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN - The International Peace Garden's iconic 120-foot tower has symbolized peace between the United States and Canada since the 1980s, but soon a new monument will be the centerpiece of the garden.
A new concept, titled Interwoven, was chosen from six entries to replace the iconic tower, which is slated for demolition this winter. GPP Architecture of Winnipeg submitted the winning design.
The new monument was chosen by a jury that included architects and landscape architects from both North Dakota and Manitoba, as well as International Peace Garden board members from both sides of the border.
This design was chosen because it was "creatively conceived, inspirational, and has the greatest potential, among the entries, to provide a fitting new icon for the garden," according to a news release.
The new design will replace the Peace Towers, which are slated for demolition this winter. The four towers making up the 120-foot monument - two each on the Canadian and U.S. sides of the border - were completed in the early 1980s to mark the 50th anniversary of the garden's dedicated in 1932.
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The towers have connected Manitoba and North Dakota for more than 30 years, but erosion has worn on the concrete monument so much that is has begun to fall apart. Deemed unsafe to the public due to falling debris, the towers have been fenced off, and demolition is slated for this winter.
The International Peace Garden, which attracts about 50,000 to 100,000 visitors each year, covers about 2,300 acres in the U.S. and Canada. The garden is located about 45 miles north of Rugby, N.D.
A construction date for the new monument has not yet been set.
