Architects Ariel Noyman and Ruth Kedar shared with us their proposal for the Atlantic City Holocaust Memorial Competition. More images and architect’s description after the break.
“The part of a tree trunk left projecting from the ground after the rest has fallen or been felled”… (Oxford English Dictionary)
Our project is inspired by the European forest, which stood in the background as a witness to the devastating Holocaust.
The thicket of poles creates a gradual transition between the lively Atlantic City Boardwalk and the new Holocaust Memorial. The poles act as a screen without defining a clear visual or physical boundary.
Passing through the thicket, one reaches a clearing in the forest, dotted by tree stumps. The tree stumps symbolize the aggressive destruction and the massive murder of the Jewish people along with other communities; the abrupt stop of life.
The field of stumps is a direct material continuation of its site, the boardwalk. Together with the field of glowing poles, the intervention gives a new interpretation to the boardwalk’s characteristic elements.
The poles gain energy from the sun during daytime and glow at night. This self‐sufficient cycle is an expression of both hope and alert caused by unstoppable processes; it stands as a reminder of the repetitive pulse of history and of the human spirit.
The new memorial is self‐sufficient, accessible and robust. It results in a new environment, which will accommodate diverse scales and types of gatherings and experiences.