Mh17 Memorial and Park
Project for a Memorial of all the victims of the flight Malaysia Airlines 17
In our project the MH17 Memorial will be built under the act of a three-fold delimitation of the natural space in order to create an inner, precious space dedicated to remembrance. The first biggest delimitation (3 hectares) is a reinforced concrete ring which hosts a pedestrian walk (1,30 m above the sea level) and public facilities directly connected with the building entrances. This ring is also the place where ferries and taxis coming from nearby Amsterdam Central and Oostveer stations dock. Indeed, two docking platforms are located on the ring to meet the route from the Amsterdam Nord and Central ferry stations. The portion of water contained in the ring can be crossed by boats, which are located close to the platforms ready to take on board visitors. Indeed, the MH17 lake will be a park: a water-based park, a space that people can enjoy on boat, going jogging on the ring or playing water sports.
This big portion of water hosts the building where are located multifunctional spaces: museum, cafe for visitors, administration offices, meeting rooms and public restrooms. It is a courtyard building suspended over the lake water. To begin, the courtyard building (50x50 m square) soars on four levels (h= 20 m) included the ground floor sustained by eight concrete pillars, which host inside them staircases and elevators. The first floor and part of the second one are dedicated to the MH17 related exhibitions with facilities annexed: ticket office, public restrooms and bookshops. At the second floor, at the end of the museum tour, there is the cafe/restaurant for visitors followed by a break-space, which connects the museum to the Memorial. Indeed, visitors might conclude their tour by passing through the “Memorial area” constituted by a stone box and a rotated roof where is located the private gatherings chapel. At the bottom of the “Memorial-box” boats wait for the arrival of visitors to bring them back to the pedestrian ring. The last floor of the building hosts the administration area with offices, restrooms and two meeting rooms (each of 80 m2 plus a store house). This floor can be reached independently from elevators and staircases opposite to the platform connected to the pedestrian ring. From the exterior, the courtyard building is covered by a skin system made of wood louvers. On the other hand, in the courtyard MH17 passengers and crew are part of the design. Here 298 lamps are placed within the frame structure of the inner brise soleil.
The three transitions – from Amsterdam city to the MH17 lake; from the water park to the multifunctional courtyard building; from the building to the Memorial – are necessary to get ready visitors to the experience of the inner space: the space of remembrance. The innermost stone-box building (10x10 m square) - the Pandora’s box - located inside the courtyard, independently accessible from the surrounding museum, is the real MH17 Memorial. As told by the myth, Pandora opened the jar received by Zeus despite the instructions to not open it under any circumstances and all evil escaped, spreading over the earth and bringing pain, suffering and injustice. Only the Spirit of Hope was left at the bottom of the box. The isolated half-light and peaceful atmosphere of the Memorial is created to relate apparently antithetical feelings, atmospheres and emotions in order to stimulate people to a private reflection. Sky and water, light and dark, rough and smooth, are all there in the same space, fighting and working together, as pain and hope, life and death in human condition.
