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World War I Memorial Walk at the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

As part of the Gateway District transformation at the University of Kansas, our team led the brand experience and landscape design for a new WWI memorial that makes the stadium’s historic purpose visible, tangible, and experiential.

Location
Lawrence, KS
Client
University of Kansas
Practices
Brand Experience
Size
.37 Acres
Year
2025
Awards

Photographer: Michael Robinson

An interior view of the dining hall. A buffet and cooler have wood accents and are surrounded by menu screens.

The Memorial Walk anchors Garlinghouse Plaza with engraved aluminum panels honoring the 130 KU students and faculty who lost their lives in WWI.

West Elevation
East Elevation

The panels provide historical context through a timeline and a map of key battles. Integrated into the Gateway District’s circulation, the memorial supports both ceremony and accessibility, inviting visitors to pause, learn, and reflect without separating remembrance from the life of the campus.

Lieutenant William Thomas Fitzsimons, a 1912 KU graduate, became the first American officer killed in World War I. His story is one of 130 Jayhawks remembered through Memorial Stadium—and one of thousands of KU community members whose lives were forever shaped by the war.
The World War I Memorial Walk at KU acts as a wayfinding spine into Garlinghouse Plaza, since visitors are directed through the walk to enter the plaza itself. At the same time, it turns circulation into interpretation by connecting movement through the space with the remembrance of the KU students and faculty honored there.
The memorial's material creates a sense of permanence and reflection through large aluminum panels. Their durable, reflective surfaces reinforce the significance of the walk, transforming it from a simple pathway into a meaningful place of remembrance within the plaza.

A collaboration with staff and scholars at the National World War I Museum and Memorial and the University of Kansas ensured accuracy. The result is a space that honors sacrifice, supports public engagement, and strengthens the cultural meaning of the place.

“The memorial and the informational plaques remind us that the freedoms we enjoy today were built on generations of sacrifice. At the heart of being a Jayhawk is a tradition of selfless service — the very spirit embodied in the 130 names and stories etched into the memorial. Through this remembrance, their legacy remains vivid and tangible, inspiring every generation to honor their example.”

Mike Denning, Colonel, USMC (Ret.), Assistant Vice Chancellor for National Defense Initiatives, University of Kansas

Related Article

University of Kansas Debuts New David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Completing Phase 1 of the Gateway District

Design Excellence
August 18, 2025
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