CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council has unanimously approved the design of a large circular sculpture that will anchor Veterans Memorial Park and serve as a space for reflection and meditation.
“The Ring,” designed by Gordon Huether Studios, will be a 16-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide metal structure that widens at the base. The art piece will be installed on the northwest corner of the park, angled so the opening faces west toward Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Veterans Memorial Park is a 93.7-acre site currently under development, bordered by Faraday Avenue to the south and west and portions of Whitman Way to the north. The undeveloped land includes steep slopes and natural habitat areas near the Pacific View Apartments and The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course.
Craddock Stropes, the city’s cultural arts manager, said “The Ring” is meant to provide a “contemplative space” and “a symbolic portal that frames the horizon and invites stillness, introspection and connection with beautiful sweeping views of our lagoon and Carlsbad beyond.”
Stropes said the piece is designed to honor veterans’ service and reflect “a commitment to duty, unity and remembrance” through its continuous form.
“It offers a sacred moment of pause where past, present and future are held in quiet reverence,” she said.
The interior of the sculpture will feature three metal strips on each side — a subtle reference to the military branches and a deterrent to skateboarding or biking inside “The Ring.”
Councilmember Kevin Shin, who represents the district where the park is located and is a Marine Corps veteran and former defense contractor, said the artwork symbolizes closure.
“When you come back, you don’t feel like you ever have closure,” Shin said.
The design process began in 2018 and included multiple rounds of public input. Nearly 600 people with ties to Carlsbad provided feedback between April 24 and June 4, according to city records.
Nick Stupin, the city’s parks planning manager, said the park will include northern and southern sections connected by trails and an inclusive playground. The southern section will feature a rustic bike trail and other amenities.
The northern section, which will house “The Ring,” will center around Memorial Plaza. Plans include memorial panels dedicated to each of the six military branches, bronze inlays with their slogans, ADA-accessible parking — “more than is standard,” Stupin said — and a prominent American flag.
Councilmember Melanie Burkholder said she hoped the flag would be “as big as this building,” referring to City Hall.
Huether, a Napa-based artist and former Napa City Planning Commission member, was unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting because he was in New York for another unveiling. In August, he told the Arts Commission that Memorial Plaza would “not only honor our veterans, but also give a place to gather for all kinds of activities.”
“What I was really trying to do was frame a really beautiful, contemplative view that you just want to stop and sit and enjoy — maybe even meditate a little bit,” Huether said.
The Arts Commission unanimously approved the design in August.
Next steps include detailed design drawings and installation to coincide with the park’s opening.
Stupin said the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will collaborate with Huether’s team on landscape design and ADA accessibility around the sculpture.
Councilmember Teresa Acosta said the artwork reminded her of the framed view of the Mediterranean Sea from the home of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in Port Lligat, Spain.
“Our view is going to be better from our Ring,” Acosta said. “Just really contemplative — looking out over the ocean and Carlsbad.”
