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Five tsunami memorial designs shortlisted
Published on December 16, 2005 - Years from now, the tsunami that struck the Andaman beaches will be remembered in the form of a multi-million-baht memorial to be built in Khao Lak Lamru National Park. The tsunami memorial committee said yesterday that it had shortlisted five of the 379 entries received from 43 countries since the government announced the design competition in September. The designs - from China, the United States, Finland, Spain and Australia - were chosen by a special jury for the final selection stage.
"This memorial will not just be a concrete building, it will represent complexity, love and sadness. It will comprise a knowledge centre featuring information on natural disasters, especially tsunamis," said Apinan Poshyananda, chairman of the competition panel and director-general of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture under the Culture Ministry.
"The jury stressed that these are just initial concepts and it strongly encouraged the prize-winners to work closely with the Council of Architects in Thailand to develop their ideas to the second stage," said David Elliott, director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and president of the jury.
The jury recommended that the government and local authorities build on the positive results and contributions of this competition to improve the environment and plan sustainable reconstruction of the coastal areas affected by the tsunami in consultation with the Council of Architects in Thailand.
The five shortlisted entries and selected projects will be on display at Le Meridien Hotel in Phang Nga between December 23-28. An exhibition of design entries will also be displayed at Khao Lak Lamru National Park on December 26, when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra lays the foundation stone for the memorial project.
The five short-listed entries are:
1) Avanto Architects Ltd, Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara (Finland).
This proposal focused on a simple and poetic idea in which everyone can participate - whether as an act of remembrance or of play.
2) VeeV Design, Raveevarn Choksombatchai and William Oren (USA).
This bridge-like structure features a consolidation of functions, use of natural materials and has relatively low environmental impact.
3) Ana Somoza Jimenez, Angel Martines, Eva Sebastian Penin and Raquel Lozano (Spain)
These organic, tower-like structures are slightly reminiscent of pagodas and were thought to be unbounded by any particular reference to time or space. They provide a symbolic landmark while integrating with the natural features of the site.
4) Liang Hou (China)
The jury was impressed by the massive iconic expression of this circular form, based on the idea of people holding hands, as well as by its low impact on the surrounding environment. Intimate interior spaces in the plaza are combined with the possibility of a tower providing fine views of the land and sea.
5) Richard Weller and Gary Marinko of the University of Western Australia.
This was the most successful integration of the sea in any entry by the incorporation of a symbolical light grid and it also minimised the impact on the environment. It was further re-enforced by the clustering of the building along the roadside entrance.
The other six members of the jury were Stefano Boeri from Italy, Jonas Bohlin from Sweden, Decha Boonkham from Thailand, MR Chanvudhi Varavarn from Thailand, Jens Ludloff from Germany and Xu Anzhi from China. They reached a series of conclusions and made the following points and statements about the finalists.
"We would like to congratulate people from 43 countries across the world who have submitted work to the competition for the energy and breadth of their vision," said Elliott.
"Just as the tsunami had a severe global impact we are heartened by the positive global concern that is evident in all the entries."
He said the jury concentrated on the quality of the conceptual designs in making commendations and awarding prizes during the first stage of the competition. In some cases, exact terms of reference have not been adhered to but in cases in which this infringement did not materially affect the concept the jury decided that this did not rule out the proposal.
The first criteria was to be aware of the needs and sensibilities of local people as well as of the national and international community. The jury has not approached this competition from the strict point of view of assessing only the architecture. An equally important focus has been the assessment of the spiritual power of each proposal in creating an ambience for remembrance, learning and reflection on the complex relations between art, architecture and nature.
Secondly, the proposal should have a minimal environmental impact, economy of expression and respect for nature.
Thirdly, entrants should be concerned with reassessing the idea of what a memorial can be to go beyond a place rooted and looking only towards the past.
The five selected entries will participate in stage two of the competition to further develop details of the design for construction, he said.
The final designs of the five entries are due for submission on May 2. The selection process by the jury is expected by May 14. An official announcement of the winner will be made by the government on May 22.
Phatarawadee Phataranawik
The Nation
Phang Nga
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