Holocaust Memorial

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Appearing as a jagged form rising from the dunes, the memorial elicits immediate emotional response.  Although it appears chaotic, once entered, the memorial is a calm, ordered, luminous space.

Based on a rational series of undulating triangular peaks and valleys interconnected as a continuous thin shell, the memorial at once gestures both toward earth and sky.  The apex of the peaks follows the same simple logic of the plan, while its undulating form is reminiscent of the passage of time and the ever-changing swell of emotions that great tragedies impart upon civilization.  Conceived as an endless construct, the pattern is simply sheared at the edges of the site to reinforce its underlying continuity.  The platform detaches from the boardwalk and weaves amongst the structure.  Within it, a gathering space is formed in the carved shape of a traditional dome, further revealing the order of the memorial and its ceremonial potential.