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A case by case study of modern memorial design.
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MAIN TITLE
MAIN TITLE
1
Contemporary Memorial DesignA Closer Look at Modern Memorials
By Pavel Petrov
1
A CLOSER LOOK AT MODERN MEMORIALS
CONTEMPORARY MEMORIAL DESIGN
World Gardens_LA 424
Dr. Susan Mulley
March 20th, 2009
BY PAVEL PETROV
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL - HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL - CASE STUDY
MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE - CASE STUDY
WORLD TRADE CENTER MEMORIAL - CASE STUDY
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Contemporary Memorial Design
1
2
3
4-5
6-8
9-14
15-19
20-24
25-26
27
IMAGE CREDITCover Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_09.jpg
Title Page Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_05.jpg
http://okc.about.com/od/imageandphotogalleries/ig/OKC-National-Memorial-Pics/MemorialBEF1.htm
http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Yurburg/Berlin.html
http://architecture.about.com/od/worldtradecenter/ig/World-Trade-Center-Plans/
1 Navy Petty Offi cer 2nd Class Molly Burgess. http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2007-05/hires_1v.jpg
2 Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_13.jpg
3 http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/6497212_dKDBk#412996874_Faehz
4 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/michelblanchette/1038561857/sizes/o/
5 http://architecture.about.com/od/worldtradecenter/ig/World-Trade-Center-Plans/
6 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/comtrag/485038726/
7 Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_10.jpg
8 Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_06.jpg
9 Lee Sandstead. http://sandstead.com/images/washington/vietnam_veterans_memorial/LIN_Maya_Vietnam_Veterans_Memorial_ded_Nov_1982_source_sandstead_d2h_12.jpg
10 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Oklahomacitybombing-DF-ST-98-01356.jpg
11 http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/17553627.jpg
12 Ken Lund. www.fl ickr.com/photos/kenlund/2716164844/
13 http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/6497212_dKDBk#412996874_Faehz
14 http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/6497212_dKDBk#412996874_Faehz
15 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/The_Survivor_Tree_at_the_Oklahoma_City_National_Memorial.jpg
16 http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/6497212_dKDBk#412996874_Faehz
17 http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/2500068.jpg
18 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Memorial_to_the_murdered_Jews_of_Europe.jpg
19 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/wolfgangstaudt/566300201/sizes/o/
20 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/speakingoff aith/326969302/sizes/o/
21 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/ryanhadley/194533868/sizes/o/
22 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/chdphd/3267859208/sizes/o/
23 http://www.fl ickr.com/photos/chdphd/3267859208/sizes/o/
24 Steve Ludlum, Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo 2002
25-30 http://architecture.about.com/od/worldtradecenter/ig/World-Trade-Center-Plans/
Transition http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/MemorialRelatedImages_06.jpg
Conclusion http://architecture.about.com/od/worldtradecenter/ig/World-Trade-Center-Plans/
LIST OF FIGURES
3
4
Figure 1 - Vietnam Veterans Memorial
5
“Brought to a sharp awareness of
such a loss, it is up to each individual
to resolve or come to terms with this
loss. For death is in the end a per-
sonal and private matter, and the
area contained within this memorial
is a quiet place meant for personal
refl ection and private reckoning.”
This quote by Maya Lin (Boundaries
2000) is discussing the Vietnam Vet-
erans Memorial; the design that set
the precedent for modern memorial
design. Death is a diffi cult event to
come to grips with. Each person re-
fl ects on death diff erently from the
next. As art critic Arthur Danto pro-
claims, “We erect monuments so that
we shall always remember, and build
memorials so that we shall never for-
get” (The Wall, The Screen, and The
Image, 120). Each of the Memorials
in this document is the result of a
tragic event in history in which loss
of life occurred. A memorial serves
to honor those that lost their lives
through the use of some artistic ex-
pression. The Vietnam Veterans Me-
morial was built in 1982 and has set a
standard for the way in which memo-
rials should be designed. The use of
symbolism, simplicity, organization
and alignment, materials, and nam-
ing those lost are a central theme in
honoring the victims in the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. The comparisons
made will be from the Vietnam Veter-
ans Memorial to the other case stud-
ies. This list includes the Oklahoma
City National Memorial, the Memo-
rial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,
and the World Trade Center Memo-
rial. Each of these memorials will
be evaluated in comparison to the
historical precedent to determine
the level of infl uence that it had on
the current design. The determining
factors will include scale, form, ele-
ments, function, context, symbolism
or meaning, philosophies, design
approaches, and most importantly
how they are similar or diff erent.
INTRODUCTION
Figure 2 - Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial
Figure 3 - Oklahoma City National Memorial
Figure 4 - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Figure 5 - World Trade Center Memorial
6
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
Historical Precedent
Designed by Maya Lin
7
The Vietnam War stood for failure and shame in the col-
lective eyes of Americans. Honoring those that fought
would have to be done in an unconventional manner.
Memorial design prior to this event included honoring
those who have had success or some greater infl uence
over the country. Even in the greater context of the site
surrounding the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, there was
a series of historically profound monuments of a grandi-
ose scale directly adjacent to this memorial site. These
monuments paid tribute to some of the most signifi cant
citizens of the country and even previous war eff orts
that were deemed a success. The Vietnam War did not fi t
into these categories of accomplishment and therefore
deserved a fresh approach. An approach that would help
people get past the war by remembering it. As art critic
Arthur Danto proclaims, “We erect monuments so that
we shall always remember, and build memorials so that
we shall never forget.”
The design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was intend-
ed to fi t into the fabric of the existing setting. Excluding
the memorial itself, the 2-acre site remained
senior year at Yale, the young designer won the national
competition for the controversial memorial. The design
ended up setting a signifi cant precedent while radically
shifting the style of future memorial designs. The prec-
edent set forth by the simple use of materials, symbol-
ism, the names, and elegant form has been emulated in
memorial design ever since. Commemorating a war of
dispute and division is challenging in and of itself, but
considering the highly questioned and ever-changing
history of the war, the design had to go beyond the
typical solution for commemoration. As Peter Ehrenhaus
states,
“The tradition of U.S. public discourse in the wake of war is founded upon the premises of clarity of purpose and success; when such presumptions must account for division, equivocation, and failure, and when losing is among the greatest of sins, commemoration seems somehow inappropriate” (Ehrenhaus quoted in Sturken, 2).
Background
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
“I imagined taking a knife and cutting into the earth, opening it up, an initial violence and pain that in time would heal… “
The Vietnam War divided American society. With over
58,000 soldiers forever lost, Americans had mixed feelings
in regards to the war. This sentiment generated a collec-
tive feeling of shame and denial throughout the country.
The soldiers that were killed in action needed to be hon-
ored and remembered. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
was designed to honor those that served in the war.
“…The need for the names to be on the memorial would become the memorial; there was no need to embellish the design further. The people and their names would allow everyone to respond and remember.” -Maya Lin (Boundaries)
The design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was com-
posed by Maya Lin (See Figure 6). Just a student in her
intact with no signifi cant landscape changes. The two
arms of the memorial point to the Washington Monu-
ment and Lincoln Memorial. The alignments are divided
by 132 degrees, to form a wide V shaped form. By open-
ing the memorial to those historical sites, the memorial
encompasses the ideals of both monuments and raises
the signifi cance of the names engraved into the black
granite. Maya Lin’s simple and elegant design for the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial has restructured the manner
through which memorial design is expressed. This de-
sign has been copied and redone ever since the design
was constructed in 1982. Her work set the standard for
modern memorial and monument design. The design
precepts that she used to distinguish her design include
the symbolic meaning of the design, the alignment or
spatial organization of the site, the materials used in the
design, and the names of the service men and women
that were honored.
Figure 6 - “The Wall”
8
THE NAMES
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has the names of 58,132
service men and women engraved into the black granite
wall (See Figure 9). The memorial serves as a marker of
remembrance. This ensures that each individual shall be
remembered for the remainder of time. The names are
listed chronologically in the order that they were taken
from us. Organized alphabetically within the context of
each day their lives were taken, one can see the intensity
of the battles on a daily basis. There is also no mention of
rank next to the names. This was intentional to prevent
the value of one’s life from being perceived as more
important than any other. The only other words that ap-
pear on the memorial are 1959 and 1975 at the apex to
recognize the beginning and end to the chaotic war.
MATERIALS
The minimal use of materials and space is a signifi -
cant part of the beauty of the design. The memorial
is comprised of polished granite slabs that are highly
refl ective (See Figure 8). The color of the granite is black,
and done so intentionally by the designer. This aspect
of the design was highly controversial at the time. The
color choice made the memorial stand out on the Mall
in comparison to the other memorials and monuments
that were all white. The color is indicative of a negative
connotation or outcome which was symbolically con-
nected to the public perception of the war. Another vital
component to the material selection was the intense
refl ective nature of the granite. The role of the refl ectiv-
ity is critical. The black granite acts not as a mirror, but a
window. The material creates a sense of two worlds, one
that we are a part of and one we cannot enter into. The
minimal use of materials has been emulated in memorial
design ever since.
SPATIAL ORGANIZATION + ALIGNMENT
The order of the site and the layout of the design is done
magnifi cently in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site.
The slice is a simple gesture that speaks loudly about
the war and those that served. The V-shaped Memorial
is located on axis with the Washington Monument and
the Lincoln Memorial to align the monument with the
history of those two pieces. The full length of the memo-
rial spans 494 feet and 10 feet in height at the apex of the
two wings to form a shallow basin. The memorial is set
into the earth. The highest edge of the structure aligns
with the level plane of turf behind it. Due to these layout
specifi cations the memorial recedes from view. The
monuments surrounding the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
can also be seen from a considerable distance. By com-
parison, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a controlled or
contained space. All of the views are restricted intention-
ally. This alignment is important to the identity of the
piece. Maya Lin explains, “By linking these two strong
symbols for the country, I wanted to create a unity be-
tween the nation’s past and present” (Landscape Design,
499). The Memorial is aligned with the Lincoln Memorial
and the Washington Monument (See Figure 7).
Description of Design Precepts
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
SYMBOLIC MEANING
The importance of the war is critical in the defi ning
properties of this memorial. The symbolism that Maya
Lin was able to pull out of the war itself shaped the de-
sign form and experience. The premise for her design is
based around the healing process of a wound or a scar.
The design idea was to cut into the earth to create this
wound that would over time scar and heal. The cut into
the earth represents the war eff ort, the wound is the ef-
fect of the war on the soldiers, American Society, and the
world, and the scar is the process in which we try to heal,
recover, or make up for the doings of the past. Eventually
through remembering we can begin to forget the ter-
rible things of the past almost as a way of coping.
Figure 7 - Memorial Alignment Figure 8 - Refl ective Materials Figure 9 - The Names
Case Study 9
Designed by Hans + Torrey Butzer OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Case Study
10
am. The rescue search took weeks to fi nd all 168 victims
that included 19 children. McVeigh felt that the govern-
ment, in particular the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms) were merciless in handling the situation
in Waco. The Brach Davidian Cult was at a standoff with
the government offi cials at the compound in Waco. The
government attempted to gas the complex to force sur-
render, but instead they unintentionally ignited the entire
compound and killed 75 people many of which were
children. Many Americans blamed the government for
this, including McVeigh who wanted retribution to those
involved. Of course his method of obtaining justice is
obscene and fl at out wrong. McVeigh was arrested 90
minutes following the attack on an unregistered fi rearm
charge. He was pulled over by highway patrol for driving
without a license plate but when the police offi cer saw
the gun he became suspicious and arrested him upon
learning that it was not registered. Prior to being released
for this charge, authorities discovered his connection to
the bombing by tracing all the purchases and rentals
back to him. On June 3, 1997, McVeigh was convicted of
murder and conspiracy and on August 15, 1997 he was
sentenced to death by lethal injection. On June 11, 2001,
McVeigh was executed (http://history1900s.about.com/
cs/crimedisaster/p/okcitybombing.htm).
Background History
CASE STUDY
Oklahoma City National Memorial
We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial off er comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.
The passage above is inscribed into the Gates of Time at
the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The bombing of
the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995,
killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured
more than 650 (See Figure 10). The memorial is a pub-
lic/private partnership erected in their memory for the
families, the survivors, and their rescuers (http://www.
nps.gov/okci/). The Oklahoma City bombing was done
by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols in retaliation to
the incident in Waco, Texas two years prior. Marking the
second anniversary of the Branch Davidian Cult standoff ,
McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck adjacent to the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building with 5,000 pounds of
ammonium nitrate in the storage hold. Most of the em-
ployees had already arrived to work that day and children
dropped off at the daycare center. McVeigh left the keys
in the truck and locked the doors, then went to a nearby
alley and began to jog. The massive bomb went off and
destroyed the entire north face of the structure at 9:02 Figure 10 - Remains of the Federal Building
11
SYMBOLIC MEANING
The precepts of design for the Oklahoma City National
Memorial include the symbolic meaning of the memo-
rial which refl ects the impact of violence, the material
selection and minimalist form, and the chairs or the
recognition of those directly aff ected and lost by the at-
tack. The symbolism starts with the Survivor Tree which
was an American Elm that was damaged but not killed
by the blast. The tree stands as a symbol of endurance
(O’Connell 2000). The Gates of Time and Field of Chairs
are also symbolic within the design as Adam Knapp
explains,
“The Gates of Time frame the moment of the bombing with one gate symbolizing the innocence of 9:01, the minute before the explosion, and the other 9:03, repre-senting the healing that began immediately after. The Field of Empty Chairs contains 168 bronze and stone chairs, some small in representation of the children and others large for the adults. They symbolize the absence felt for each life lost in the tragedy, each sitting up on
a glass base with the etched name of a victim” (About.com 2009).
The Refl ecting Pool is set between the Gates of Time and
North of the Field of Empty chairs. The pool refl ects a
healing calmness and serenity. The darkness of the water
refl ects mourning.
MATERIALS + ORGANIZATION
The organization of the three acre site is critical in the
context of what needed to be expressed following the
tragedy so that the community could properly grieve
and remember what had happened. The designer
wanted to have a clear understanding of what happened
as well as fi ll the site with various elements of remem-
brance. These elements include the Survivor Tree, the
Refl ecting Pool, the Gates of Time, the Field of Empty
Chairs, the Rescuers Orchard, the Children’s Area, and the
Museum space. The program is heavy in use, and refl ects
the complexity of how to honor those that died in such a
tragedy. Also, because of the heavy programming, it was
important for the designer to use simple, elegant mate-
rials to prevent clutter. This allows the user to see and
understand what happened. There is a consistent use of
stone and bronze throughout the site. Even the Orchard
is made up of the same tree to get a simple consistent
form and color throughout. Locating the memorial along
the former building footprint is also important in the
alignment and organization of the memorial. The Refl ect-
ing Pool is also located along where 5th street used to be,
creating a symbolic element on the site.
FIELD OF EMPTY CHAIRS
The fi eld of 168 Stone and bronze chairs display the
amount of lives that perished during the attack. They
vary in size to represent children that were killed. They
create a visual element for the viewer to understand
exactly how many people died, to be able to relate a
number to a real scale. The eff ect of the chairs is power-
ful and critical to the design. Each person is honored and
remembered that died with their names inscribed into
each chair.
CASE STUDY
Oklahoma City National Memorial
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is located on the
former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The
design was conceived through an international competi-
tion process that had entrees from 624 teams. The win-
ning design team was the Butzer Design Partnership who
came up with the conceptual design while the Architect
of Record was Sasaki Associates. The symbolic memorial
was built along the edge of the former federal building
on a three acre site. The design also converted an adja-
cent building used for Journalism Record into a museum
and visitors space to inform people about the attack.
Another important site component was the creation of
the Oklahoma City Memorial Institute for the Prevention
of Terrorism and Violence (O’Connell 2000). The ele-
ments within the Memorial include the Gates of Time
(See Figure 11), the Refl ecting Pool (See Figure 11), the
Field of Empty Chairs, the Rescuers’ Orchard, the Survivor
Tree, and the Children’s Area.
Site Description Design Precepts
Figure 11 - Refl ective Pool + Gates of Time
12
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Lin set
the standard for modern memorial design. The design
principles used in the memorial design for commemorat-
ing the Vietnam War have been refl ected in work since
that design was built. The elements of signifi cance in
that design include the symbolism, the spatial organi-
zation and alignment, the material selection, and the
names of those that died. The Oklahoma City National
Memorial has primarily the same precepts for design
as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Although two very
diff erent memorials that represent two very diff erent
events in time, the way in which those that suff ered are
remembered is similar. Both memorials came about from
dramatic events in history, and were designed through
competitions. They both deal with grieving and loss
of life in order to help people deal with death and help
remember those that died. The two memorials approach
honoring the loss of life in the same manner, listing every
person that died and using refl ectivity to symbolize
mourning (See Figures 12 + 13).
Design Precept Comparison
CASE STUDY
Oklahoma City National Memorial
Figure 13 - The ChairsFigure 12 - The Names
13
foot structure. The chairs are isolated to the south of the
refl ecting pool which is located along where 5th street
used to run. On either end of the refl ecting pool are two
gates which are called the Gates of Time. Adjacent to
the Gates of Time is the Survivor Tree (See Figure 15). The
Gates of Time are very large in scale, almost monumental
in comparison to the human fi gure. This contrast brings
a new level to the meaning of the gates. The scale is
defi ned in a much grander scale which is the opposite of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which tries to blend into
the land and be almost invisible. The Gates stand tall and
consist of the same simple materials as the rest of the site,
stone and bronze (See Figure 16). This is similar to the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in using a simple materials
palette to keep the design simple and elegant. The Gates
are symbolic of the peaceful time prior to the explosion
(9:01) and the other gate is symbolic of the mourning
that began right after the blast (9:03). The refl ecting pool
in between the two allows you to gain perspective of
what happened at 9:02 as you stare at the fi eld of chairs
refl ecting back at you in the darkness of the water. The
stone chairs that have one name for each chair (See Fig-
ure 14). The bottoms of the chairs are made of glass. As
Kim O’Connell from LAM explains, “their forms are edgy,
uncomfortable-looking, a subtle reminder of the violent
nature of the event” (September 2000). There are 168 to-
tal chairs representing those that were killed in the attack.
The organization of the chairs is based in rows, O’Connell
continues, “according to the fl oor on which the victims
were working or visiting that fateful day. They cluster in
the center and spread out, like debris from the explosion”
(September 2000). This design strategy was powerful
according to Rebecca Krinke, “both subtle and chilling,
reminding one of the horror of this bombing. The chairs
as an echo of the explosion is something I found myself
thinking about and seeing in my mind’s eye again and
again” (LAM September 2000). The way in which the
visitor is presented with the information of how many
people died is diff erent in the sense as the chairs give
you an exact feel for the amount of people while the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial is overwhelming. It is too
diffi cult to fathom just how many names are on the 494
process of developing a proper memorial. This is con-
trary to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial which did not
include participation of Veterans which helped make that
project very controversial. As Maya Lin exclaims about
the lack of Veteran participation, “The fact that no veter-
ans had been on the jury, the unconventionality of the
design and the designer, and a very radical requirement
made by the Vietnam veterans to include all the names
of those killed made it inevitable that the project would
become controversial” (Boundaries 2000). While the two
projects vary in the process of including certain people
or groups in the design development, they are similar in
many ways. Both memorials list the name of every man
or woman that died in the tragic event representative
by that memorial. The way in which these names are
presented are very diff erently however. On the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial the names are engraved onto black
granite slabs that make up the memorial structure. They
names are only a piece of the various symbolic gestures
in the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The names are
presented in an empty fi eld on custom made bronze and
Oklahoma City National Memorial
CASE STUDY
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has a key element that is
located centrally within the two acres. The black granite
wall that is symbolic of a scar on the earth is the main fo-
cus of the entire site. The Oklahoma City National Memo-
rial uses heavy programming though out the site. Even
though the two are relatively the same size, 2 acres and 3
acres respectively, the Oklahoma City National Memorial
engages the entire site to present its message as Bunster-
Ossa explains, “their design was about a ‘place’ more than
a monument, it engages the entire site as a landscape of
remembrance, giving people choices about how to fl ow
through it and ponder on the tragedy” (quoted in LAM,
September 2000). The site is also located in the actual
location of the tragedy. The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial
is located in the National Mall. It is directly adjacent to
the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
This placement among the most powerful memori-
als and monuments is a very symbolic gesture for the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial because of the meaning of
each of those separate entities. The design team was
open to working with the families and survivors on the
Figure 15 - The Survivor TreeFigure 14 - The Lit up Chairs Figure 16 - The Gates of Time
14Oklahoma City National Memorial
CASE STUDY
pool also refl ects the Oklahoma sky which is symbolic
of heaven, while the blackness of the water can denote
hell or the event happening on earth. The base of the
refl ecting pool is made of polished granite, and the water
level rests only a quarter inch above to create a dramatic
refl ection in the water (See Figure 17). A person could
walk across the pool in sandals and not get their feet wet.
The design is similar to the historic precedent because it
uses refl ectivity to allow you to do just that, refl ect. The
symbolism relating to how to deal with death is used on
both memorials. However, water is not used in the Maya
Lin memorial. Although the purpose of the water is pure-
ly functional in order to enhance the refl ectivity of the
object making it similar to the precedent in that sense.
The next symbolic piece on the site is the Survivor Tree.
This badly bruised American Elm survived the blast of
explosives and has been a testament to endurance and
strength. The tree was left in the same position it had
occupied prior to the attack. The only diff erence made
was the retaining wall surrounding it which reads, eternal
gratitude. The statement refers to the help and support
that the entire country gave Oklahoma City in the event
of this tragedy. The wall is also composed of the same
simple materials, bronze and stone. All of these elements
are lit at night to provide a glow of gold and bring out
the inscriptions of names and statements related to each
piece of the memorial. In contrast, the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial is not intended to be used at night. There are
only lights along the walkway that guide you in a direc-
tion. The Oklahoma City National Memorial also has an
area devoted to the Rescuer’s and the Children. These
two spaces are located north of the Refl ection pool along
Harvey Avenue and adjacent to the Museum. There is no
doubt that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial helped shape
the design in Oklahoma. The two projects vary in many
ways, but are similar in many as well. The use of symbol-
ism, materials, and the names are signifi cant in shaping
the form and identity of the Oklahoma City National
Memorial. As Rebecca Krinke explains, “the Oklahoma
City National Memorial exists because the bombing was
important to nearly all of us – cutting across the Ameri-
can grain. Like the pool at its center, it refl ects a dark
chapter in our collective history, forcing us to remember”
(LAM September 2000).Figure 17 - Refl ecting the Gates of Time
Case Study 15
Designed by Peter Eisenman MEMORIAL TO THE MURDERED JEWS OF EUROPE
16
The memorial site was the former site of the Reich’s Min-
istry Gardens. The 30 million dollar project was designed
on a 4.7 acre site which included 22,776 square feet of
sub surface information centers, containing exhibition
galleries, seminar space, offi ces, a bookshop, and all of
which sit beneath the memorial of concrete slabs which
create an undulating ceiling which is poured in place.
The above ground portion of the memorial includes
concrete slabs which create topography by incorporat-
ing various heights that range from 2 feet to 15 feet. The
slabs are 3 feet long by 8 feet wide and range in height
depending on where they are located on the grid (See
Figure 18). The grid is spaced 3 feet apart, which means
each pillar is 3 feet apart from another pillar in each
direction. The pillars are designed to be simple, without
inscription or color of any kind. This is done intentionally
by the designer as Suzanne Stephens from Architectural
Record explains, “These elements – abstract forms, grid-
ded plan, rolling terrain – adhere to the overriding theme
of repetition with displacement, to create an immensely
powerful kinesthetic, tactile, and visual experience” (126).
The design precepts for this design coincide with the his-
toric precedent that Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memo-
rial set. These elements include a simple use of materi-
als, elegant and simple form, and symbolism, although
limited the intentional lack of symbolism and names was
an integral part of the design. Even though the design
is notably distinct from the historical precedent, many
of the elements and principles within the design are in-
corporated based off of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
These elements will be addressed in the case study.
CASE STUDY
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Background History Site Description + Design Precepts
“We wanted a silent fi eld – a deafening silence in the
age of noise” exclaims architect Peter Eisenman about
his Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Architec-
tural Record 7/2005 126). The memorial was built some
60 years after the holocaust which some may argue
was too late; others argue it is too soon. Either way the
actions of the Nazi’s during the Second World War were
inexcusable and morally wrong in every way, shape and
form. Adolf Hitler, had plans to exterminate the Jews in
what he called the ‘fi nal solution.’ The leader of the Nazi
party at the time, Hitler tortured, experimented on, and
fl at out murdered men, women, and children who were
Jewish. He created internment camps to force Jews to
work for the Nazi’s while they were being malnourished
and brutally beaten and overworked. Under the guise of
sending them to a nice place to simply protect them, he
mislead the masses into these internment camps where
many were killed upon arrival. The strong ones would be
permitted to live and work for the Nazi’s. Hitler set up gas
chambers where he would mass murder as many Jews
as he could fi t into the chamber. This is only a small part
of the terror and horror that these people had to experi-
ence as Hitler attempted his genocide. Words cant pos-
sible explain the pain and suff ering that the Jews had to
go through and it is because of this sequence of events
that has made this memorial so diffi cult to build over
the last half of a century. There were over 6 million Jews
killed during the Nazi reign. One of the initial controver-
sies of the memorial was that it did not pay homage to
gypsies and homosexuals who were also targets of Nazi’s.
Lea Rosh, a German television journalist responds, “The
central goal of National Socialist genocide policy was the
destruction of Jewry… The consummation of 2,000 years
of anti-Semitism on this continent and the fi gure of six
million Jewish victims demanded a memorial dedicated
to Jews” (Architecture Record 7/2005 126-27). The me-
morial was designed by Peter Eisenman, a non Jewish
American. Figure 18 - The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
17
all times. The design of the memorial also came about
through a design competition which seems to be a cen-
tral theme in large memorials of this scale. Peter Eisen-
man and Richard Serra were fi nalists in an invitation only
competition of internationally known artists and archi-
tects. However, Richard Serra decided to quit the col-
laborative design because of requests to alter his design,
and as an artist he wanted no part of this (LAM Novem-
ber 2006). The original Holocaust memorial competition
occurred in the late 1950’s, but after the assessment of
426 submissions from various designers, the jury failed to
select a winner concluding that no one entry adequately
memorialized a crime of such astounding proportion
(LAM November 2006). The Holocaust was probably the
worst of all the memorials studied in this document, and
in that sense it is diffi cult to compare it to any precedent
or other memorial. There are clearly similarities and dif-
ferences from the precedent and current work. One of
the diff erences are based around the entirety of the site.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial had one central element
within the 2 acre site. The Memorial to the Murdered
CASE STUDY
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was
designed by Peter Eisenman to represent a fi eld of silent
markers or abstract pillars, 2,711 of them to be exact
(See Figure 19 + 20). The memorial is located in central
Berlin. There are no signs designating the memorial, no
sentimentality, no symbolism, no iconography of remem-
brance, no signifi cance to the number of concrete slabs
on the 4.7 acre site (Carol Salus LAM November 2006 42).
The fi eld of ordered and nameless slabs creates a terrain
or topography with a variety of heights. In regards to
symbolism, Nicolai Ouroussoff from the New York Times
explains, “The memorial’s grid, for example, can be read
as both an extension of the streets that surround the site
and an unnerving evocation of the rigid discipline and
bureaucratic order that kept the killing machine grinding
along. The pillars, meanwhile, are an obvious reference to
tombstones” (May 9,2005 A Forest of Pillars, Recalling the
Unimaginable). The visiting people can enter the forest of
concrete at just about any time of day, as security guards
are posted on round the clock shifts. Similar to the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the site is open to people at
Design Precept Comparison
Figure 19 - The Slabs
Figure 20 - The Forest of Concrete Slabs
18Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
CASE STUDY
walking through. The markers are covered in an anti-graf-
fi ti coating to prevent neo-Nazi sentiment. This created
some controversy which the precedent is no stranger
to, although this was for an entirely diff erent reason. The
precedent was controversial because of the lack of Veter-
an interaction in the design process and the fact that the
designer was young, Asian-American, and a woman. The
controversy surrounding the anti-graffi ti spray lies with
the company that creates it. Apparently, “the architect
felt graffi ti could benefi t the memorial; later it emerged
that the company supplying the agent once manufac-
tured poison gas for use in Nazi death camps” (BBC 2005).
A very important discrepancy between the two memori-
als is in the listing of the names of those that died. Maya
Lin’s design incorporates the names of each person that
died, while there are no names found on Eisenman’s de-
sign (See Figure 21). He explains, “I fought to keep names
off the stones, because having names on them would
turn it into a graveyard” (BBC 2005). The memorial is not
symbolic in the sense that the Vietnam Veterans Memo-
rial was, but it is similar in the overall simplicity and use of
Jews of Europe uses the entire 4.7 acre site for the fi eld
of concrete slabs and other site amenities. The scale of
the two sites is relatively close in size, the site in Berlin is
a little more than twice that of the Washington site. Both
memorials are located in very signifi cant locations in
relation to their individual memorials. ‘The Wall’ is located
along the national mall adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial
and the Washington Monument, which enhanced the
importance and symbolism of the memorial. The Memo-
rial for the Murdered Jews of Europe is located 328 feet
from the buried remains of Hitler’s bunker, in the center
of Berlin, which is signifi cant because it is in the heart of
the former governing body that was the Nazi regime. In
regards to the actual memorial, the form and simplicity
are also a common element between the memorial and
the precedent. The simple and quiet concrete slabs are
3 feet by 8 feet and vary in height. The precedent is also
a simple form in the shape of a V, which is comprised of
one material, black polished granite. The slabs are also
intended to disorient the person walking through the
space depending on which part of the terrain they are
Figure 21 - Concrete Field
19
CASE STUDY
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
minimal materials. The memorial makes a big statement
without a word spoken (See Figure 22). The memorial
intentionally creates a landscape in which people can
get easily disoriented or lost (See fi gure 23). This makes it
easy to refl ect upon the massive loss of life. As Suzanne
Stephens explains, “As visitors wander through the fi eld,
along very narrow paths, the steles loom taller in certain
areas, and the ground sinks toward the middle to about
8 feet below grade. Soon the visitor may feel lost, or at
least removed and isolated from the rest of the world. In
this peripatetic journey, these various sensations merge
into an aesthetic experience, where light and shadow
and the smooth surfaces of the deeply rich dark gray
concrete slabs create a singularly suggestive landscape”
(Architectural Record 126). The spatial organization and
layout, although nothing like the Vietnam Veterans Me-
morial is organized and directly correlates the simplicity
of that prior memorial. The fi eld of slabs is very ordered,
much like the direction that each V is pointing in. This
memorial is not easy to understand, and by no means
is it simple even though it appears that way in form. As
Max Page, assistant professor at the University of Mas-
sachusetts has written, “This is a memorial for adults and
an adult nation. The design assumes a mature citizenry
and a democracy that recognizes that responsibility for
confronting a nation’s past crimes rests not only with
the culprits but with the future generations as well. The
memorial does not inculcate or preach. It challenges” (As
quoted in LAM November 2006).
Figure 23 - Walkway within the Grid
Figure 22 - Perspective
Case Study 20
Designed by Peter Walker + Michael Arad WORLD TRADE CENTER MEMORIAL
21
The World Trade Center Memorial is the most recent of the aforementioned memorials. The history behind the memorial is tragic and
terrifying. The chronology of events begins early on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The events are put together by CNN:
8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north
tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afi re.
9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center
and explodes. Both buildings are burning (See Figure 24).
9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suff ered an “apparent terrorist attack.”
9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all fl ight operations at U.S. airports, the fi rst time in U.S. history that air traffi c nationwide has been halted.
9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and
debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.
10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft fl ying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.
10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous
cloud of debris and smoke.
2 p.m.: Senior FBI sources tell CNN they are working on the assumption that the four airplanes that crashed were hijacked as part of a
terrorist attack.
4 p.m: CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that U.S. offi cials say there are “good indications” that Saudi militant
Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks, based on “new
and specifi c” information developed since the attacks.
The events of the day are chilling and unforgettable. The day is fused into my memory permanently no matter how much I try to for-
get. The constant visual of the towers collapsing and people jumping from the upper stories to their death is engraved in my head.
Those who lived through that experience know the shock that is associated with 9/11. The memorial has not been built yet. It is still
in the process of being built, and therefore, is diff erent from the other memorials in this document. This memorial has to remember
nearly 3,000 people that lost their lives in a cowardly act of terrorism that will live in infamy. The entire country witnessed this event
live on their televisions and this creates another dimension to the project. This event touches home to a lot more people than the
other memorials might since there is so much actual footage of the event. Many have relatives or know someone who may have lost
their lives and certain sensitivity to that must be incorporated. Then the question follows, what design style is appropriate if any? The
other memorials are meant to remember those that died, but they were not located in the actual place where the event occurred. All
of these elements were challenges to Peter Walker and Michael Arad as they came up with their design for the devastated site. Their
concept was refl ecting absence. They accomplished this by creating a fi eld of trees that is interrupted by two large voids (World
Trade Center footprint).
CASE STUDY
World Trade Center Memorial
Background + History
Figure 24 - Steve Ludlum 2002 Pulitzer Prize winning photo
CASE STUDY
Site Description + Design Precepts
World Trade Center Memorial
The description of the site is easily understood as Lower
Manhattan in the former site of where the World Trade
Center’s used to stand. The site will have two large voids
that are the former building footprints of the World Trade
towers and it will be surrounded by a forest of trees. The
large voids will be immense fountains that fl ow beneath
the surface. The site will be accessible under the surface
and will remember those that died inside. The site is de-
signed off of a grid pattern with the exception of the two
voids. All circulation is based on a grid system as well as
the trees and all amenities. The design precepts for the
world Trade Center Memorial include simple and elegant
form, materials usage, organization and spatial alignment,
the names of those who died, and some symbolism.
22Figure 25 - Master Plan
23
CASE STUDY
World Trade Center Memorial
Design Precept Comparison
The comparison of precepts of design for the historical
precedent and the World Trade Center Memorial is chal-
lenging due to the fact that the project is not complete.
It is one thing to compare the statements prepared by
the designer’s and compare what is in actuality. Accord-
ing to the designer statements of intent, there are many
things in common with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The layout and organization of the site is based on a mini-
mal grid (See Figure 26). The style can be the fi rst easily
compared component. The simplicity of the design is
intentional. Just like the design by Maya Lin it is striving
for the idea that less is more (See Figures 27-29). Howev-
er, because of the signifi cant diff erence in events could it
actually be achieving less is less? According to Clay Risen
from the New Republic Online, “minimalism is particularly
appropriate to commemorate the dead of a war about
whose precise meaning there is little consensus. Veter-
ans, war protestors, and grieving families can each create
their own meaning on the blank canvas of the wall. For
another, while the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is minimal-
ist, it is not abstract. Black granite is a traditional funerary
Figure 26 - Site Plan
Figure 28 - Interior Rendering Figure 29 - Interior Rendering
Figure 27 - Rendering
24
CASE STUDY
World Trade Center Memorial
material, and the wall recalls an elongated gravestone.
The gently descending ramp is an obvious allusion to the
netherworld – Hades, the kingdom of the dead. And one
reason that the names are so moving is that there are
more than 58,000. But there is nothing equivocal about
what happened on 9/11. The nation was attacked, inno-
cent people died, and others died trying to rescue them.
A World Trade Center Memorial should commemorate
the dead, but not only the dead. It should say something
about the event, about the nation that was attacked, and
about its ideals. Minimalism is out of place here; what is
required is meaning” (LAM March 2004 pg. 23-24). The
issue with replicas is that they are never as good as the
original. This design is trying too hard to be all the things
that the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial is. It is too similar
in so many ways. The use of materials is another way in
which the two projects are similar (See Figure 30). The
World Trade Center Memorial uses concrete like the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial uses Granite. The names of
those that died will be engraved into the concrete in the
sub surface zone. This will be similar to the precedent in
terms of listing all the people that died, not necessarily
how it is done. Although signifi cant, listing the names
will not be as impacting as the precedent because it is
3,000 names in comparison to 58,000. The design does
not properly represent the event; it only remembers
those that died.
Figure 30 - Ground Level Rendering
1
A Cultural Precedent for Modern Memorial Design CONCLUSION
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial set the trend for modern memorial design. The use
of materials, symbolism, and elegant form helped create the precedent that mod-
ern memorials follow today. The original can never quite be replicated as nicely
and eff ectively, however the memorials in this document are good in their own
right as stand alone memorials. It is diffi cult to replicate something successfully be-
cause of process of design and all the thought that went in to the project originally.
The best one can do is take aspects that apply and recreate their own versions of
them. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is truly a marvel and cant possibly be ex-
plained in any document suffi ciently. To truly understand it, one must experience
it fi rst hand, and be moved by it. The memorialized tragedies in this document are
signifi cant events in course of history and must be remembered, not only for what
they meant, but for those people that they took from us.
25
126
27
Berlin opens Holocaust museum. 10 May 2005. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4531669.stm
Ochsner, Jeff rey. A Space of Loss: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Blackwell Publishing. Journal of Architectural Education,
Vol.50, No.3(1997), 156-171.
Freida Lee Mock .1995. Maya Lin - A Strong Vision. Documentary.
Ivy, Robert. 7/2002. Memorials, Monuments, and Meaning. Architectural Record. Pg 84-87.
Knapp, Adam. 2009. Oklahoma City National Memorial. http://okc.about.com/od/museumseducational/p/okmemorial.htm
Lin,Maya. 2000. Boundaries. New York: Simon & Shuster.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin. 2006. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/berlin-memorial-to-
the-murdered-jews-of-europe.htm
O’Connell, Kim A. 2000. “The Gates of Memory” . Landscape Architecture Magazine. Vol. 90 Number 9. September 2000. Pg.
68-77.
Oklahoma City National Memorial. March 22, 2009. http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/index.php
Ouroussoff , Nicolai. May 9, 2005. New York Times. A Forest of Pillars, Recalling the Unimaginable. http://www.nytimes.
com/2005/05/09/arts/design/09holo.html
National Park Service. March 22, 2009. http://www.nps.gov/okci/
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Rybczynski, Witold. March 2004. Less is Less. Landscape Architecture Magazine. Pg. 20-24.
Salus, Carol. Landscape Architecture, Nov2006, Vol. 96 Issue 11, p42-47
September 11th: Chronology of Terror. CNN. 2001. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/chronology.attack/index.html
Stephens, Suzanne. 7/2005. Peter Eisenman’s Vision for Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Architectural
Record. Pg. 120-127.
Sturken, Marita. The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. University of California Press. No.35,
Special Issue: Monumental Histories(1991), 118-142.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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