The World Athletes Monument, more commonly known as the Prince Charles Monument or Prince of Wales Monument, is a monument located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The monument, dedicated to the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, is a gift from the Prince of Wales. The monument is located on Peachtree Street, at Pershing Point, in Midtown Atlanta.

Monument

The statue is carved in Indiana limestone topped by bronze statues, and stands tall. It has a conical base circled by five stone bands which have two aedicules on the Peachtree Street axis, within which are plaques honoring the patrons who built the building. Above the base is a tholos circled by five Doric columns, representing the five continents, which support five bronze

Atlases An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...

who together carry a globe. A cauldron is within the tholos and emits a fire evoking the Olympic torch. Taking advantage of the avenue being straight for a number of blocks, which is unusual in Atlanta, the monument was intentionally aligned with the tower of the 19th-century Gothic Peachtree Christian Church a few blocks away.

History

The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture The Prince's Foundation (formerly the Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture until 2001, the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment until 2012, and the Prince's Foundation for Building Community until 2018) is an educational charity est ...

held an international competition for the design of the monument. The competition was won by Anton Glikin, a St. Petersburg, Russia architect and Institute student. The land was donated by the

Georgia Department of Transportation The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developin ...

. With the lead donation from the Randall family of Atlanta, construction began. The monument was dedicated during the Centennial Olympic Games by Lord Morris of Castle Morris representing

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

Impact

On August 31, 1997

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, was killed in an automobile accident in Paris. During this time, CNN estimated over 20,000 people were drawn to the World Athletes Monument to grieve and pay their respects. The Atlanta City Council dedicated the space as the Prince of Wales’s Monument at

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Square. On June 5, 2004, President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

died and once again thousands of people congregated around the World Athletes Monument to grieve. The monument was enshrouded with flags, candles, flowers and other mementos. It has also become a gathering place for sports victories and other civic uses the citizens of Atlanta choose to celebrate.

References

External links

* {{Atlanta landmarks Monuments and memorials in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in Atlanta Tourist attractions in Atlanta Landmarks in Atlanta 1996 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Georgia (U.S. state) New Classical architecture 1996 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)