Strawberry Fields, Memorial in Central Park, Manhattan, United States.
Strawberry Fields is a triangular landscaped section of Central Park whose focal point is a circular mosaic of small stone tiles set in Portuguese pavement style. The mosaic, bordered by round copper-colored discs and crossed by dark diagonal bands, spells IMAGINE in dark capitals around its upper left half. Benches endowed in memory of other individuals line the surrounding paths, and three dawn redwoods stand at the northern tip of the upper lawns.
Following the death of John Lennon in December 1980, Yoko Ono began planning this space and donated one million dollars to bring it into being. The official opening took place on October 9, 1985, the musician's birthday.
The name draws directly from the Beatles song and recalls a children's home near the house where Lennon grew up in Liverpool. Music fans from around the world lay flowers and candles here, often singing together and gathering for informal remembrance circles at the central mosaic.
Access is easiest through the entrance at Central Park West near West 72nd Street, from where short paths lead to the mosaic. Several benches along the walkways offer places to pause and reflect quietly within the space.
The mosaic was a gift from the city of Naples, made by Italian craftsmen in the style of Portuguese pavement and based on a Greco-Roman design. It began to sink noticeably in 2007 because it had not been placed on sufficient foundation.
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