World Athletes Monument facts for kids
| Coordinates | 33°47′36″N 84°23′11″W / 33.793349°N 84.386487°W |
|---|---|
| Completion date | 1996 |
The World Athletes Monument is a special landmark in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It's also known as the Prince Charles Monument or Prince of Wales Monument. This monument was a gift from the Prince of Wales to celebrate the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. You can find it on Peachtree Street, near Pershing Point, in the Midtown Atlanta area.
Discover the World Athletes Monument
This impressive monument is made from Indiana limestone and has bronze statues on top. It stands about 55 feet tall, which is like a five-story building! The base of the monument is shaped like a cone. Around this base are five stone bands. These bands have two special alcoves, called aedicules, facing Peachtree Street. Inside these alcoves are plaques that honor the people who helped build the monument.
Above the base, there's a round structure called a tholos. Five Doric columns surround this tholos. These columns represent the five continents of the world. On top of the columns, five bronze statues, called Atlases, work together to hold up a large globe. Inside the tholos, there's a special bowl, or cauldron. This cauldron creates a fire that reminds everyone of the famous Olympic torch. The monument was carefully placed to line up with the old Gothic Peachtree Christian Church, which is a few blocks away. This alignment makes the monument even more special.
The Monument's History
The idea for the monument came from The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture. They held a worldwide competition to find the best design. A student from the Institute, Anton Glikin, won the competition. He was an architect from St. Petersburg, Russia. The land for the monument was given by the Georgia Department of Transportation. The Randall family of Atlanta made a very important donation, which helped start the building process. The monument was officially opened during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Lord Morris of Castle Morris represented Queen Elizabeth II at the dedication ceremony.
A Place for Community Gathering
The World Athletes Monument has become an important gathering place for the people of Atlanta. On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, passed away. Many people were very sad. Over 20,000 people came to the World Athletes Monument to show their respect and grieve together. Because of this, the Atlanta City Council officially named the area the Prince of Wales’s Monument at Princess Diana Square.
Later, on June 5, 2004, President Ronald Reagan died. Again, thousands of people gathered around the monument to mourn. They covered the monument with flags, candles, flowers, and other items to remember him. The monument is also a place where people celebrate sports victories and other important community events in Atlanta.
