CITY OF BRAMPTON, CANADA
THE LAST GENOCIDE MEMORIAL
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. – Nelson Mandela
This monument stands tall and fractured as a stark reminder how marginalizing and mistreating groups of people destabilizes society. It is also a symbolic tombstone for all victims of past genocides. A place for tranquil contemplation, a place to grieve and let go.
Heavy and rough in its materials, yet fragile and precarious in its stance. The heavy materials convey the ominosity and graveness of these human events. The precariousness could be interpreted as these broken systems committing genocide eventually become vulnerable themselves – so they can change for the better – as they inevitably undermine the very moral values our societies are built upon. That our fellow humans’ life and dignity needs to be protected and respected.
To create a proportionate response to the scale of the space demarcated by the tree lines and paving strips around the site, a certain immensity of the massing was required. The massing scale and weight as a result creates the impression of presence, permanence and commands respect from the visitors.
The main axis of the massing is oriented to the true North. Not only renders this alignment the most graceful dance of lights and shadows on the surfaces of the monument throughout the day, it also connects to main pedestrian circulation nodes to the North and South and utilizes the greatest length of the site by paved access stretched out into both directions. Controlled foot traffic guides the journey of the visitor hence the unveiled vistas are oriented in the most beneficial manner while exploring the monument. This alignment also achieves to establish a new hierarchy with the surrounding landscaping, thus becoming a new focal point in the area rather than accommodating to the previous perpendicular grid dictated by its surroundings.
PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
Csaba Babud
DEVELOPMENT NAME
Last Genocide Memorial
LOCATION
City of Brampton, Canada
PROJECT STATUS
Shortlisted
PROJECT STAGES
Design Competition
VISUALS
ARDF Studio