Oakland Memorial Park

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm, the 7.1-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake shook the Bay Area for 15 seconds. In that brief time, a section of the Bay Bridge fell, a fire began in the Marina, and at this site the two-tiered Cypress Freeway collapsed, killing some people outright and trapping others in their cars as the upper deck fell and sandwiched them between the layers. Before the dust settled, neighborhood volunteers climbed protruding rebar and rubble to aid, comfort, and free survivors. The park honors those who died in the Cypress collapse, remembers the neighborhood's heroic response in the minutes and hours after the quake, and gives thanks to people from across the country who offered help or sent donations. The disaster also led to the creation of a nationwide rapid alert system. The park's design reflects community memories of the earth moving in waves, with rolling landscape forms, arcs, ripples, flowering trees, a "15 seconds" wall, and three curved ladders that recall the improvised ladders used in the rescue effort and symbolize hope and community spirit. Story Plaza at the corner of Mandela Parkway and 14th Street serves as the park's epicenter, and words from community stories about the earthquake are imprinted in the paving as reflections of a shared experience.

Oakland, California · United States