Celebrating the Lives of Women at Spirit of Women Park

MKSK is celebrating Women's History Month with a 10 year look back at the Chlois G. Ingram Spirit of Women Park on The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center campus.

The Chlois G. Ingram Spirit of Women Park was designed to celebrate all women and the special roles they play in our lives. The MKSK/Olin design team was tasked with creatively reimagining a former open space within the Medical Center campus as a memorial to honor the extraordinary lives of women.

Named for Chlois G. Ingram, a dedicated American Red Cross volunteer at OSU’s Medical Center, the original Park featured 1,515 colorful, hand-painted tiles mounted to concrete walls between cascades of water. The tiles told personal stories and honored women in their roles as mothers, grandmothers, sisters, nieces, friends, teachers, healers, and mentors. The desire to re-create these personal stories, which are as unique and varied as the donors themselves, became the designer’s greatest challenge.

The original concept to reuse the artwork from the former park proved difficult due to weathering and the fragility of the original ceramic tiles. Therefore, each tile was individually photographed and painstakingly digitally traced to maintain the hand-made quality of the original art. The re-created art tiles, assembled into mosaics, were incorporated into a Donor Fountain that now serves as the central feature in the new Spirit of Women Park.

As the focal point of the new park, the donor tiles have been given new life by placing the 1,515 glass etched tiles, as if floating, into a reflecting pool stretching 175’ in length. The glass donor panels are now clearly visible just beneath the smooth, reflective surface of the water. The appearance at night is striking as the crescent shaped fountain is illuminated, allowing the artwork to glow above a base of the dark granite basin.

The Donor Fountain is framed by sculpted landforms, bluestone paving, and native plantings to help create a reflective and compelling place for patients, visitors, and staff. The park’s organic forms help give the sense of being transported to a natural environment within the urban context of the Medical Center. Landforms and plantings work together to block out noise and frame spaces, helping to provide a sense of intimacy and reflection.

Image credit: Olin/Sahar Coston-Hardy

Several environments exist within the park space. Visitors can relax surrounded by wildflowers which bloom throughout the seasons, gather at the handicapped-accessible tables to dine outdoors, utilize the park’s Wi-Fi capabilities, or simply spend time reflecting in front of the Donor Fountain.

Image credit: Olin/Sahar Coston-Hardy

MKSK is honored to commemorate the true strength and spirit of women at the Spirit of Women Park, and to have helped continue the Chlois G. Ingram legacy by providing a place of healing for caregivers, staff, visitors, and patients alike to reduce stress and improve their well-being.

Image credit: Olin/Sahar Coston-Hardy

“With a spirit of caring, compassion and kindness, the nourishment she shared healed hearts and restored hope.”

~ from the Chlois G. Ingram Dedication Monument