The ripple effect: donor memorial honors gift of life with reverent design

A space of reflection for generations to come

The Donor Memorial at the Lifeline of Ohio Headquarters celebrates the “Gift of Life,” providing a dignified place to honor the gifts shared and the lives saved through organ, eye, and tissue donation.

EDGE designed the memorial to capture how the act of organ donation creates a ripple that not only effects recipients, it touches families, friends, and future generations. In honor of their gifts, the names of 700+ donors are mounted on eight concrete walls, each representing one of the eight lives that can be saved by just one donor.

A design to embrace

The theme of the ripple effect was carefully articulated throughout the memorial in the form of water, the pattern of pavement, landforms, plant materials, walls, and architecture. On axis with the main entry is a Central Fountain that serves as the source of the ripple that radiates through the landscape. The ripple influences the architecture of the headquarters building with a curved façade and patterns in the floor and ceiling planes.

A second axis connects the Central Fountain to the Remembrance Room. Designed as an “embrace,” this room invites visitors into a space of reverence and reflection.