Firstly, we drew from the triangular nature of the lot, which in a city like NYC, usually means a left-over or unusable space, but can also be vibrant corners of the city, where people meet and linger. Secondly, the nature of the AIDS crisis is not what our history has memorialized before -- typically wars, revolutions, a person, an event -- so it naturally turned us towards more abstract concepts like the feeling of being under a tree canopy, the sound of water, etc.

We wanted a space that can be all things to all people, especially with the passage of time. It is not easy to sum up how one feels when mourning a loss. It is deeply personal and at the same time the collective grief brings people together. We wanted a space that will allow a person to sit and contemplate both the individual loss and at the same time show our collective will to better our circumstances. It must also be a place not so severe and solemn that children cannot run thru and play -- because life goes on.

The paving design is the result of a collaboration with Jenny Holzer, responsible for the granite paving art installation, it added a new layer to the design, which enriched and transformed the experience.

Location: 
West 12th street & Greenwich Ave.

Date of Competition: 
March, 2013  (In Progress)

Structural Engineer: 
Robert Silman Associates

Lighting Designer: 

Fisher Marantz Stone

Artist: 
Jenny Holzer

Landscape Designer: 
M. Paul Friedberg and Partners

Graphic Designer: 
2x4 and Pablo Alabau

Renderings: 
a2t

Photos: 
Ed Caruso