THE NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL COMPOUND
LOCALITY
The War Memorial Compound (WM) is located at the corner of Vuya and Battery Road and is designed to be the
Head Quarters for Fiji’s Retired Servicemen and to boost Cultural activities in the Veiuto area.
Its four boundaries are formed as follows: North- Battery Road; East-Vuya Rd; West - Parliament’s Staff car park;
South: New Road which in future will link into developments to the south of the Parliament Compound
Battery Road which functions simultaneously as: the Northern Boundary of the compound, as well as the secondary
entrance into the adjacent Parliament Complex, is structured to be free off all activity related to the WM Compound.
It can therefore be totally closed off at any time without affecting any of the functions on the WM Compound.
SITE
The War Memorial (WM) Compound is a collection of 4 major function areas enclosed within the Perimeter
pathway that allows all movement on the site to originate and end via the Vuya Road Boundary on the Eastern side
of the compound.
The perimeter pathway connects the traffic between each of the function spaces along their outer edges, rather than
through their midst, with the intent of minimizing the distraction that such traffic could cause to the activities on the
compound. This is synonymous with trying to discreetly move around behind the edge of a group rather than
through the midst of the group.
Contained within the Perimeter Pathway are the following activity areas:
Upper Grounds
1. The Parade Ground has the Monument Area at the head of the grounds. The parade ground (40mx60m) is the
biggest open air gathering space on the compound with a capacity for 1000men in either parade format or in
informal interactions before and after parades. This space is expected to be used annually during Remembrance
Day and hired out at other times (maybe 3 times in a year) for similar occasions involving large crowds. Arrival
during those annual occasions will be from the NE corner of the site.
2. The Monument Area holds the Primary Monument which can be seen from all quadrants of the compound as
well as from the distant approach roads to the North and south of the Compound. Its elevated location on the
south end of the parade ground reduces the disruptive effects of the surrounding traffic on Vuya Road and
Battery Road, and utilizes the ocean view at the southern end as a backdrop to the monument area. Movement to
the Monument Area will be predominantly through the perimeter stairs with the exception of the annual
Remembrance Day when arrival will be from the NE corner. The Primary Monument symbolizes the important
aspects of Fiji’s War History and is reinforced and kept up high by the Wall of Names.
3. The Pavilion on the North end of the parade grounds offers an all weather shelter to view the activities on the
parade ground from. Its open semi outdoor form allows it to be used for a wide range of activities.
4. The Museum and Accommodation units occupy the refurbished residence that currently exists on the North
West quadrant of the compound. This existing building is from the colonial days and is immediately available
for use. This building is expected to be the most frequently used space on the upper grounds with its visitors
coming up from the lower grounds via the Perimeter & Central paths at an average of 1 non staff visitor per
week.
Lower Grounds
1. The Central Path starts at the main entrance to the compound on Vuya Road and ascends towards the Museum
on the North Western side of the Compound. Its orientation allows direct connection into the Parliament car
park if required at anytime in the future.
The central path opens up a 4m high rock face along the way which simultaneously differentiates the higher
grounds from the lower grounds.
This central path is expected to be the most used pathway on the compound because of the convenient
connection that it provides from all four function areas to the Bus Stop and vehicular traffic on Vuya Road.
2. The Wall of Names is based on the stone pitched wall that is built onto the 4m high rock face along the central
path, to stabilize and hold up the monument area and the primary monument on the upper grounds. A sequence
of 6 stations is located along its length at the structural points where the wall rises up above the upper grounds
as anchoring Piers for the wall and the safety railing that runs along the top.
White Slabs with the list of remembered names engraved in black onto it, are bolted onto the wall at these
critical stations and are lit up at night to amplify into the furthest reaches, the important role that these stations
play in the history and the future of the War Memorial Compound. At each station the list of names that appears
on the south side of the wall is echoed by a smaller version positioned in direct alignment with it on the north
side of the wall for the benefit of the users of the monument area on the upper ground.
The activity on the 4 adjacent function areas is oriented so as to be able to easily appreciate the wall of names.
3. The Club House is organized linearly in parallel with the central path, so as to have maximum visual
connection with the Wall of Names from any point along the main hall and the Covered Terrace.
The car park and port-cochere on the south side of the Club House are screened from the main hall by a linearly
arranged strip of service areas. The curved form of the roof imitates the free form curve of the original ground
level of the site.
4. The Water garden is an outdoor area below the Parade Grounds and Monument Area and provides another
sequence of spaces for users to reflect on important issues. It is structured into terraces that can collect and
direct rainwater to the road side drains. Its proximity to the Club House allows it to be serviced by the club
house bar and kitchen facilities.
Its predominantly solid grounds will facilitate human assembly and at the same time reduce the potential
problems of maintenance and insects that are associated with water catchment systems.
SITE WORKS
1. The Perimeter Path is a 4m wide concrete slab that extends along a distance of 600m. The trees, park benches
and lighting distributed evenly along its path are structured to amplify its smooth oval form.
2. The Trees are selected by the Ministry of Forestry to embellish the following 3 functions areas:
a. Perimeter path- Has indigenous trees of similar canopy and height aligned with the outer edge of the path to
reinforce the oval form of the path and at the same time provide natural shade for its users. Knee Level
Shrubs along the inner edge of the path further amplifies its oval form without reducing the visual
connection that the users have with the contained function spaces.
b. Central Path- Has a collection of exotic trees which can be easily differentiated from the other trees on the
compound and be noticed from anywhere on the site or from the surrounding neighborhood. Its occurrence
on the central path represents the differences that surface when contrasting entities come to meet- which at
times can end in warfare.
c. Water Garden-. Has a collection of medium height screen trees that can contain the focus within the water
garden to selected directions namely: the adjacent wall of names, the Stage at the East end of the Club
House or that on the South east corner of the compound.
3. Site Drainage
All site water is drained to the road side reserves on the East and South Boundary. Storm water from the
Parliament Complex to the North West of the compound is diverted to the mangroves on the western side of the
compound.