National Holocaust Monument | Completed
 

Jury picks six finalists in Holocaust monument design competition

By Don Butler, OTTAWA CITIZEN October 24, 2013 4:01 PM

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9078419.jpg

OTTAWA — A jury has chosen six finalists in the design competition for a planned multi-million-dollar Holocaust monument across from the Canadian War Museum at the corner of Booth and Wellington streets.

The list, announced Thursday by Canadian Heritage Minister Shelly Glover and John Baird, the minister of foreign affairs, includes three teams from Toronto, one each from Vancouver and Montreal and one based in Cambridge, Mass.

All the teams include prominent architects and artists, and two of the Toronto entries also list Holocaust scholars.

One high-powered Toronto team includes superstar architect Daniel Libeskind, master planner of the new 104-storey skyscraper on the World Trade Center site in New York City, artist Edward Burtynsky, known for his large-scale photographs of industrial landscapes, and Gail Lord, one of the world’s foremost museum planners.

The team from Cambridge include Krzysztof Wodiczko, a Polish-born artist renowned for more than 80 large-scale slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments he has created around the world.

The finalists were chosen by a seven-member jury made up of art and design professionals, a Holocaust survivor and a representative of the five-member National Holocaust Monument Development Council, created in 2011 to raise money for the monument.

The finalists were selected based on their credentials and examples they submitted of prior work. They will spend the next few months developing designs, which will be displayed publicly on Feb. 20, 2014.

The jury will recommend the winning design, but Baird, the MP for Ottawa West-Nepean, will make the final choice, according to a government document posted this summer.

Construction of the monument is expected to begin next summer, with a dedication ceremony in the fall of 2015.

In an interview Thursday, Rabbi Daniel Friedman, the chair of the development council, said it has already raised more than $4 million toward the cost of building and maintaining the monument. The federal government has promised to match donations to a maximum of $4 million.

“The government tells us we are moving quicker than they have ever seen,” said Friedman, who is rabbi at Edmonton’s Beth Israel Synagogue.

The council began to raise funds in the summer of 2012, with a goal of raising $4.5 million. If it surpasses that target, as now seems possible, any extra money would just widen the budget for the monument artists, Friedman said.

“The aim ultimately is that we have not only a world-class monument, but that we have one of those monuments in the world that people point to and say, ‘This is one of the top Holocaust monuments in the world,’” he said.

“We will be, at least budget-wise, in the game and hopefully with the calibre of the finalists that we have, we will well and truly have a monument that is world-class.”

Friedman said the national Holocaust monument is “more important than ever. We see human rights abuses abound in the world today.

“Unfortunately, human nature hasn’t changed. We still have mass slaughters of human beings taking place. It’s very important that we show, as Canadians, that we will not stand for this,” he said.

[email protected]

twitter.com/ButlerDon


The six finalists in the design competition for the new national Holocaust monument in Ottawa:

• Hossein Amanat, architect and urban designer
Esther Shalev-Gerz, artist
Daniel Roehr, architect and project manager
David Lieberman, architect
— Vancouver

• Leslie M. Klein, Quadrangle Architects
Jeffrey Craft (SWA Group)
Alan Schwartz, Terraplan
Yael Bartana, artist
Susan Philipsz, artist
Chen Tamir, artist
Deborah Dwork and Jeffrey Koerber, Holocaust scholars
— Toronto

• Gail Lord, museum planner
Daniel Libeskind, architect
Edward Burtynsky, artist’
Claude Cormier, landscape architect
Doris Berger, Holocaust scholar
— Toronto

• Gilles Saucier, architect
Marie-France Brière, artist
— Montreal

• Irene Szylinger, art historian and curator
David Adjaye, architect
Ron Arad, artist/architect
— Toronto

• Krzysztof Wodiczko, artist
Julian Bonder, architect
— Cambridge, Mass.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ju...418/story.html

The Holocaust Monument design concepts were unveiled tonight by the six teams in the running. Unfortunately the invite to the public to see the concepts tonight went out silently (did anyone hear about this?!) on the 17th of February. So, I'm sorry to say I don't have photos, nor did I attend.

I suspect we'll see some photos in the news soon (at least, I hope we do) - it was mentioned tonight on CTV 2 news, and there may be some coverage of it on the 11 o'clock news.

Thanks citydwlr! I moved this to a new thread as this seems to be a pretty major project (bigger than I thought it would be)

here are the concepts - from twitter https://twitter.com/Robonto

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Klein, Craft, Schwartz, Bartana, Philipsz, Tamir, Dwork, Koerber (& @Robonto) Transcendent. @QuadrangleArch
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg9Bzs7CIAAK1Up.jpg:large

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Saucier, Brière. Lifted Landscape
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg9BLx8CQAABnvW.jpg:large

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Amanat, Shalev-Gerz, Roehr, Kleyn, Lieberman. Half a World.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg9A8w6IcAAHKL0.jpg:large

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Wodiczko + Bonder. Connecting you to the earth.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg9AX1tCQAAU_H8.jpg:large

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Lord, Libeskind, Burtynsky, Cormier & Bergen. Libeskind... Lots of Libeskind...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg8_3-nCcAAE3q_.jpg:large

#RespectForRobonto ‏@Robonto 4h
Team Szylinger, Adjay & Arad. Walls. Lots of walls.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bg8_aS_CMAA8fq0.jpg:large

Thanks for posting this here Waterloowarrior - much appreciated! I didn't see this thread when I did my search...

Those are some solid entries! Wow! There's at least 3-4 of the 6 that I'd be happy with. As much as the Semi-Spherical one is cool, it slightly reminds me of the Turkish monument where Island Park meets the Parkway.

Teams Libeskind and Szylinger so far for me.... but looking foward to seeing more details.

Can't argue with you there! Definitely my top 2 as well.

I think I'm leaning more toward Team Szylinger though - It intrigues me more, and looks like a piece of art that won't look dated in years to come. With that said, I feel like the Libeskind one fits well with the angular design of the War Museum and parts of the Firefighters monument across the street...

Nonetheless, I'll wait to make my final judgements until I read the details of each of the concepts.

I feel like the NCC would go for the first one (Team Klein) since it retains a ton of green space (it looks like the monument is built under 2 mounds of grass and trees).

National Holocaust Monument finalists unveiled

By CARYS MILLS, OTTAWA CITIZEN February 20, 2014 10:27 PM

OTTAWA — The six finalists for Canada’s National Holocaust Monument, meant to commemorate millions of victims, were unveiled Thursday.

Architects, artists and others on the design teams explained their work to the public at The Canadian War Museum, which the monument will face when it’s completed. A seven-membery jury, which will review public comments, will recommend the winning design team to the federal government.

The National Holocaust Monument Development Council aims to raise $4.5 million for the project and the federal government will match up to $4 million. The government dedicated the land that will be used.

The monument, to go at Wellington and Booth streets, is expected to be inaugurated in the fall of 2015.


Team: Saucier, from Quebec

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ot...ry/9532879.jpg

Description: “The project is very much a moment in your day. You can climb on it … you can also go under it,” said architect Gilles Saucier, adding a space underneath where the sky is visible provides a link “from past to future.“ The outside would be made of weathered steel. Overall, Saucier said, the goal is to inspire contemplation, whether that means leaving flowers or sitting quietly. “The essential (part) of this project was not to drop something on the site from another culture … but something that emerged from the actual Canadian ground. It’s the idea of pushing history through the actual ground,“ Saucier said. He and artist Marie-France Brière said their monument is meant to be a gesture of respect to Holocaust victims.


Team: Amanat, from British Columbia

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9532874.jpg

Description: “It’s monumental. It’s 20 metres wide and 14 metres high because the loss is enormous,” said artist Esther Shalev-Gerz, who grew up in Jerusalem. Her monument would have several components: a specific shadow that would appear yearly, a large seating area, an area where visitors can place stones to fill in a wall and quotes about the Holocaust.

“I had the idea of a half world,“ said Shalev-Gerz, whose grandparents and other relatives were Holocaust victims. “It takes you years to articulate that you’re a half world. That you’re partial. The moment you recognize it, you can go ahead and make of it things. When you don’t recognize it, you just walk around like a half thing.“ Shalev-Gerz said she wants to present people with specific examples of loss so they can relate. “All my work is about personalizing,“ she said.


Team: Klein, from Ontario

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9532878.jpg

Description: “We’ve created a multi-sensory experience for the visitor, which involves sight, smell, sound and texture,“ said architect Les Klein. Black granite on the outside is meant to depict the Holocaust’s horror, while the underside is white limestone.

A distorted musical piece, involving a single violin, and photography of objects associated with the Holocaust would be included with words from survivors. Hundreds of birch trees are meant to represent areas where Jews were murdered and an Auschwitz camp named for the trees. Klein, whose parents were Holocaust survivors, said the multi-sensory approach made sense for the subject. “We described it among ourselves as a journey,“ he said. “How do you put something into shape that’s hard to even put into words?“


Team: Wodiczko + Bonder, from Massachusetts

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9532876.jpg

Description: “We decided to fully expose the area … we realized underneath the surface, closer than many other places, there’s a bedrock,“ said artist Krzysztof Wodiczko. “It’s the most solid part of Canada, so to speak, and those who came fleeing execution, they needed to strike roots.“ The bedrock is between one and five metres below, according to the team, and soil would be brought from other countries. Aspen trees, which grow together through their roots, would be planted. A small reflection area would include an animated flame and audio from survivors and later generations.


Team: Lord, from Ontario

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9532877.jpg

Description: The proposed monument is made of six triangles, inspired by badges Nazis used to identify Jews, with one ascending and one descending. Each triangle has a different themed space and together they form a Star of David. One set of stairs, referred to as the “stairs of hope,” show a vista of Parliament. “It represents democracy and government, and also the hope of freedom for a lot of these immigrants,“ said architect Michael Ashley said. Trees represent different nationalities and the ones Anne Frank wrote about seeing out her window, he said.


Team: Szylinger, from Ontario

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/cm...ry/9532875.jpg

Description: Twenty three slim and tall walls make up 22 paths for each country where Jewish communities were decimated, said architect Asa Bruno. “From some angles, it’s observed as an envelope,“ he said. “But when you walk through it, you become isolated, it’s a single experience for one person … we want to encourage something that doesn’t feel safe or comfortable.“ Made out of concrete and stone aggregate, the monument would intentionally become weathered over time. Away from the main monument, which could be up to 14 metres high, would be a small reflection room, including inscriptions.

[email protected]/CarysMills

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ot...873/story.html

Some great concepts, but I really have to question the location. Such a prominent location and massive scale for something that is not specific to Canada. The Wellington/Booth intersection is unique in that it is the crossroads of the first inter-provincial link in the capital, and its first westward road. If anything, this site should celebrate the ties that unite us. I'm not sure I want a daily reminder of the slaughter of millions that took place in another continent here. I think that belongs somewhere quieter and more contemplative, like on Sussex in front of the former city hall.

Szylinger all the way.

Kitchissippi, not specific to Canada? wow. ok then.

I think they are all ugly.

What happened to the good old days of a beautiful statue as opposed to sterile concrete and metal bunkers?

I'm a little worried that, placed in an area rather devoid of activity, it might become a place to avoid unless you have a very, very specific reason to be there.

A memorial or monument won't help anyone remember if no one ever goes there. I'd rather make it a central element in Lebreton Flats like a square where people go for a million different reasons (to get to the other side, to meet someone there, etc.) and in so doing are reminded of a chapter of our (Western) history. Within that square, you could also have a more removed area (within the sculptures or something) for more solitary reflection.

If silent reflection is the only thing you're aiming for, it would be more appropriate to put it in an area devoid of activity/urbanity instead of in such a very central location.

But if you want an area populated with all those nice and happy people we see in the renders, we need to put it in a location NOT cornered by uncrossable roadways (Ottawa River Parkway and Booth) and chose a place which will provide easy, casual pedestrian access.

That's my beef.

I think I'm leaning more towards the Szylinger design. At least it's different enough to get people talking.

While visually very different, it's basically the same concept as the Berlin Memorial which uses Slabs of various heights to achieve the same isolation for someone visiting it.

...........

I think the Lord and Szylinger teams have put the most thought into their designs. Their designs have a lot of meaning.

It's a shame that what will probably be Ottawa's two most iconic spaces aside from Parliament Hill, the War Memorial and then this Holocaust Monument, will be places to quietly reflect on the dead. It would be nice if the federal government put this much effort into a public space that celebrated something less solemn.

hopefully, the Stanley Cup monument will do just that. This should be designed as a photo opportunity for tourists just as the Rocket Richard monument has become at the north end of the Interprovincial Bridge.

Specific: Clearly defined or identified with. So yes, I don't think the memory of Nazi tyranny and their massacre of 6 million Jews is exactly central to Canadian identity and psyche.

Don't get me wrong, I have visited two concentration camps in Europe, walked through the gas chambers and seen first hand the furnaces where they burnt the bodies. I wept at the sight of some of the conditions people had to endure. In my gut this is just not an appropriate spot for this memorial, on a busy intersection and beside a stage where noisy concerts are held.

I also feel that the Flats and the Falls are the true birthplace of the city, something that has been completely erased and ignored. It is the narrowest part of the river, and holds the greatest potential for a pleasant pedestrian link between Ottawa and Gatineau.

*

Without commenting on the artistic merit, unless it is going to be guarded 24/7, I would prefer to avoid the designs that provide a lot of hiding places for vandals, drug users, idiots, drunks, etc. as the NCC has done its best to ensure that whole part of town is desolate most of the time. Ananat would seem to fit the bill on that.

My immediate reaction to the Szylinger proposal is that it makes me think of a stack of corpses on end. This is not mentioned in the description and I don't know if there was any intent to present that image to some people. I don't know if others get the same impression and I don't even know if it is inappropriate given the purpose of the monument.