Mission Statement:
An international open ideas competition for architects and students is initiated to remember and honor the victims of the MH17 tragedy. This man-made tragedy has influenced thousands of lives in direct or indirect manner across the entire world. Most of all this tragedy has affected the Netherlands - the Dutch nation that lost 193 souls in this catastophe. Therefore Amsterdam, the departure point of this one way flight, was selected as a location for the MH17 Memorial.
MATTERBETTER has proposed to design an artificial island in the IJmeer in Amsterdam as a foundation for the MH17 Memorial. We believe that the memorial has to be for everyone - the place for the people who are directly connected to the tragedy and for the population of the world in general. Because of its location the memorial has to be addressed to a broader public, as it will be visited by various groups of people. It should form a new public space - the place for remembrance, ceremonies, recreation, private gatherings and should become a vital point of the Amsterdam cultural infrastructure.
MH17 Memorial has to be free from the political overtone and should not directly express the tragedy in a type of a monologue - it should allow individuals to experience through the space and form their own memories and emotions. Human presence is vital. The Memorial has to become an inviting place open for physical interaction, the place that honors remembrances, respect for life and a preservation of peace.
It was decided that the MH17 Memorial site will accomodate a landscape park in addition to its main purpose in order to become a green axis that will connect the Old Center and the North of Amsterdam and strengthen the location that is reclaimed from the water - symbolizing traditional collaboration of the Dutch people with the nature.
An international open ideas competition for architects and students is initiated to remember and honor the victims of the MH17 tragedy. This man-made tragedy has influenced thousands of lives in direct or indirect manner across the entire world. Most of all this tragedy has affected the Netherlands - the Dutch nation that lost 193 souls in this catastophe. Therefore Amsterdam, the departure point of this one way flight, was selected as a location for the MH17 Memorial.
MATTERBETTER has proposed to design an artificial island in the IJmeer in Amsterdam as a foundation for the MH17 Memorial. We believe that the memorial has to be for everyone - the place for the people who are directly connected to the tragedy and for the population of the world in general. Because of its location the memorial has to be addressed to a broader public, as it will be visited by various groups of people. It should form a new public space - the place for remembrance, ceremonies, recreation, private gatherings and should become a vital point of the Amsterdam cultural infrastructure.
MH17 Memorial has to be free from the political overtone and should not directly express the tragedy in a type of a monologue - it should allow individuals to experience through the space and form their own memories and emotions. Human presence is vital. The Memorial has to become an inviting place open for physical interaction, the place that honors remembrances, respect for life and a preservation of peace.
It was decided that the MH17 Memorial site will accomodate a landscape park in addition to its main purpose in order to become a green axis that will connect the Old Center and the North of Amsterdam and strengthen the location that is reclaimed from the water - symbolizing traditional collaboration of the Dutch people with the nature.
The memorial is portrayed as a monumental figure, a symbol of defiance and human determination towards the flight tragedy that has struck the Dutch nation and the world as a whole. The memorial aims to harness the power of journey and discovery to create a strong immersive experiences when one walks through it. In regards to creating such spaces, it is hope that the memorial could evoke a sense of being overwhelmed at first, but when one moves from one end to another, the feeling is gradually being replaced with peace and tranquility and finally, HOPE.
Info:
Project Name: Look Beyond
Project Type: MH17 Memorial
Designer Name: Arise Wan Mei Zhen, Wong Chun Fei, Ho Kae Jing, Tan Kheng Yew, Howie Lam Chee Hau
Year: (2014 December)
School: UCSI University, Malaysia