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ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
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ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
The
Holocaust, a violation of our collective humanity, has affected the way in
which we understand the world in which we live, it pre-conditions our decisions
and our value judgments. These are the enduring consequences of human tragedy,
they transcend generations and become part of who we are. The memorial is about
all of us, past, present and future.
When
considering the admittedly unconventional context of the proposed memorial
site, the physicality and materiality of the memorial is of essential
importance. We made the decision to ensure that by design, the memorial would aggressively occupy and defend it’s position
within the somewhat chaotic and commercial environment of the boardwalk and
it’s varied attractions and distractions. As such, it was critical that we find
a balance between the contemplative nature of the memorial, and this
intentionally physical posture on the site.
The
memorial design begins with an abstract object,
solid, pure and whole, one that is composed of a number of uniform rectangular
tubes. The specific number of elements is not important; however, the scale
communicated by a large, almost uncountable number is intended. These
like-elements are then radically displaced or shifted away from the center of
the object leaving a network of contiguous complex voids behind. Elements are
then purposefully erased to effect a
dissolution of the whole and signify that for humanity, our loss is permanent.
The
physical erosion of the object that begins on the inside, reveals itself in a
distorted and fractured object defined as much by the perceived absence or
negative space as the resulting form. The hopeful effect of this physical act is
one that is now measured in space and light. The remaining complex network of tubes,
voids and fissures carry day light into the object to illuminate the interior
space. The perpetually changing light within this space betrays a salient fact,
the Holocaust, and all moments of crisis
for humanity, can not be separated from our history or our future.
The
proposed site along the Atlantic City Boardwalk poses a number of significant
environmental challenges for the design with respect to the durability of
materials, effective maintenance of the memorial, and ultimately, the
sustainability of the project in an area characterized by extremely high
pedestrian traffic. The oceanfront location is defined by relatively harsh
environmental factors, including exposure to extreme temperatures, excessive coastal
winds, sand erosion, and exposure to corrosive ocean air. The long term integrity of the structure and
ease of maintenance become integral to
the viability of the memorial in this context.
Our
approach to mitigate these conditions was
to limit the memorial to the use of a single durable building element, one that
was suited to the environment and simple to fabricate. The proposed building
elements could be pre-fabricated in a controlled shop environment to strict
tolerances and pre-assembled into larger units to be erected in the field. The proposed rectangular tube elements are 9”
x 9” hollow sections in 60” lengths formed from lightweight GRP, or glass-reinforced
plastic. GRP is a cost-effective shop fabricated, high strength-to-weight ratio
material that is non-corrosive and easily repaired. Typically used to fabricate
a variety of high quality marine-grade products, GRP can be machined to an
exceptionally high finish standard with the application of pigmented gel coat
and polishing to create beautiful and durable exterior building components.
This material is easily sourced and fabricated locally, and is ideally suited to
the abstract object-like quality
required of the project.
Holocaust, a violation of our collective humanity, has affected the way in
which we understand the world in which we live, it pre-conditions our decisions
and our value judgments. These are the enduring consequences of human tragedy,
they transcend generations and become part of who we are. The memorial is about
all of us, past, present and future.
When
considering the admittedly unconventional context of the proposed memorial
site, the physicality and materiality of the memorial is of essential
importance. We made the decision to ensure that by design, the memorial would aggressively occupy and defend it’s position
within the somewhat chaotic and commercial environment of the boardwalk and
it’s varied attractions and distractions. As such, it was critical that we find
a balance between the contemplative nature of the memorial, and this
intentionally physical posture on the site.
The
memorial design begins with an abstract object,
solid, pure and whole, one that is composed of a number of uniform rectangular
tubes. The specific number of elements is not important; however, the scale
communicated by a large, almost uncountable number is intended. These
like-elements are then radically displaced or shifted away from the center of
the object leaving a network of contiguous complex voids behind. Elements are
then purposefully erased to effect a
dissolution of the whole and signify that for humanity, our loss is permanent.
The
physical erosion of the object that begins on the inside, reveals itself in a
distorted and fractured object defined as much by the perceived absence or
negative space as the resulting form. The hopeful effect of this physical act is
one that is now measured in space and light. The remaining complex network of tubes,
voids and fissures carry day light into the object to illuminate the interior
space. The perpetually changing light within this space betrays a salient fact,
the Holocaust, and all moments of crisis
for humanity, can not be separated from our history or our future.
The
proposed site along the Atlantic City Boardwalk poses a number of significant
environmental challenges for the design with respect to the durability of
materials, effective maintenance of the memorial, and ultimately, the
sustainability of the project in an area characterized by extremely high
pedestrian traffic. The oceanfront location is defined by relatively harsh
environmental factors, including exposure to extreme temperatures, excessive coastal
winds, sand erosion, and exposure to corrosive ocean air. The long term integrity of the structure and
ease of maintenance become integral to
the viability of the memorial in this context.
Our
approach to mitigate these conditions was
to limit the memorial to the use of a single durable building element, one that
was suited to the environment and simple to fabricate. The proposed building
elements could be pre-fabricated in a controlled shop environment to strict
tolerances and pre-assembled into larger units to be erected in the field. The proposed rectangular tube elements are 9”
x 9” hollow sections in 60” lengths formed from lightweight GRP, or glass-reinforced
plastic. GRP is a cost-effective shop fabricated, high strength-to-weight ratio
material that is non-corrosive and easily repaired. Typically used to fabricate
a variety of high quality marine-grade products, GRP can be machined to an
exceptionally high finish standard with the application of pigmented gel coat
and polishing to create beautiful and durable exterior building components.
This material is easily sourced and fabricated locally, and is ideally suited to
the abstract object-like quality
required of the project.
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