Project Description: The Motorcycle Rider Memorial is a 36' diameter plaza consisting of four components. The first component consists of four brick walls orientated on a north, south, east, and west axis. They do not meet in the center to form an 'X'; rather, there is a 12' diameter concrete pad in the center. The purpose of the walls is to have a surface upon which cast bronze plaques containing the names of the deceased bikers can be displayed. Each one is 10' high at the outside, tapers down to 7' at the inside, and is 12' long by 1' wide; this provides a total surface area of 912 sq. ft., enough room for 3,280 4" x 7" name plaques with a 1" space between. All of the elements of the second component are cast bronze. It is an empty chair draped with instantly recognizable items that nearly every biker owns: vest, jacket, chaps, gloves, sunglasses, etc. In front of the chair is also a pair of boots. The chair and respective possessions are slightly larger (25%) than life and sit on a two-tiered round concrete pad 15' and 12' in diameter. The third component is a round structure secured on top of the walls that represents a spoke wheel. This will offer little shade, however, for the viewer it will provide a grounded feeling along with a visual ceiling, and the shadows created will be quite striking. The fourth component is a four-column spire that is centered on the spoke structure directly above the chair. The spire and the un-obscured space between the chair and the sky symbolize ascension. Overview: The Motorcycle Rider Memorial Plaza is designed in such a manner that there is no front or back, allowing the viewer a 360 degree unobstructed line of sight. When the viewer approaches the plaza, their eyes are naturally drawn to the chair in the center due to the perspective provided by the tapering walls and the hardly noticeable rise in ground elevation. The walls provide a comfortable sense of security and privacy while the name plaques offer a personalized connection to the memorial, something physically tangible that people can touch. As they make their way towards the chair and step up on to the pad, the additional height will give them a feeling of accession and freedom. The chair and its surrounding pad give a space for reflection and an extrasensory connection to the deceased. Additionally, it will trigger memories when one sees their own riding gear where it is kept while not in use. The spoke structure - and its shadows - are meant to be a subconscious remidner of the bond between those remembered and those remembering. The memorial was designed by Andrew M. Rieckenberg of Rieckenberg Metals Studio in Ava, Illinois.