In the early twentieth century, traditional monument structures began to evolve into memorials, becoming more diverse in design and subject matter. Structures were not only built to commemorate triumph and victory but also to recognize hardship and loss. Although memorials have taken on spatial and occupiable qualities, landscape or natural elements as integrated design features have been inconsistent in contemporary memorial design. In contrast to contemporary memorial design, the subject of land art is the landscape itself, where natural materials are used as the medium for the artwork. The idea that land art uses physical earth and the surrounding landscape intentionally could translate into more thoughtful design approaches as memorial design evolves. This study aims to apply two seemingly unrelated subject matters to landscape architecture by exploring the relationship between contemporary memorial design and land art as a means for designing memorials that also engage the landscape in the narrative.
