Peleliu Battlefield
Peleliu, Republic of Palau
Stanley O. Graves, FAIA, of Architexas was selected by the Republic of Palau and the U.S. National Park Service to conduct a condition assessment and provide preservation recommendations for six World War II era fortified structures built by the Japanese military and one structure built by the US military on the Island of Peleliu. The site is a National Historic Landmark and is considered the best-preserved and intact example of a WWII Pacific island battlefield. The project involved identifying immediate safety concerns, short-term stabilization recommendations, longer-term repair and restoration objectives, and assessing the reuse potential of each structure for various community and visitor needs. The overall preservation approach for the fortified Japanese buildings was to preserve them as battle-damaged, yet stabilized ruins, allowing a degree of visitor interaction via prescribed routes through each structure. The US Orange Beach Chapel was programmed for stabilization with the development of new visitor facilities on the site.
