WWI MEMORIAL
2018
Collaborator: Petillault Jean-Christophe
4th Place// Competition for Nottingham Council
At first glance, the memorial appears like a scar in the earth . Four heavy concrete slabs seem ripped off the innocent lawn, forming deep trenches into the ground. As one walks down a trench and gets closer to this mysterious structure, the weight of the concrete seems threatening .
This path wanders further under ground level, eventually meeting a multitude of thin and delicate columns, planted in dark, rough clay. Despite their reedy appearance, they are the ones lifting the enormous bulks above them. Slim rays of natural light sneak between the concrete blocks, and laboriously reach the black earth, while faint beams of lightning rise from the ground and highlight each pillar creating a dark but soft atmosphere.
The columns bear the names of the numerous victimspf WWI . As these thousands of tragedies and witnesses slowly roll into the past, the columns stand like an army, as a fierce and timeless tribute to their sacrifices . Leaving the main path, a stroll through the monument unfolds more pillars, more names. Walking between them, taking shelter among them in this peaceful and detailed setting, brings a sense of intimacy to the experience.
It is no longer about remembering the past : it becomes part of our introspection on our present and future, on how we perceive our world in light of what happened. The building is merely the vehicle of memory for everyone to explore, honor, and pass on .
This path wanders further under ground level, eventually meeting a multitude of thin and delicate columns, planted in dark, rough clay. Despite their reedy appearance, they are the ones lifting the enormous bulks above them. Slim rays of natural light sneak between the concrete blocks, and laboriously reach the black earth, while faint beams of lightning rise from the ground and highlight each pillar creating a dark but soft atmosphere.
The columns bear the names of the numerous victimspf WWI . As these thousands of tragedies and witnesses slowly roll into the past, the columns stand like an army, as a fierce and timeless tribute to their sacrifices . Leaving the main path, a stroll through the monument unfolds more pillars, more names. Walking between them, taking shelter among them in this peaceful and detailed setting, brings a sense of intimacy to the experience.
It is no longer about remembering the past : it becomes part of our introspection on our present and future, on how we perceive our world in light of what happened. The building is merely the vehicle of memory for everyone to explore, honor, and pass on .
