MEMORIAL TO THE VICTIMS OF COMMUNISM (Site 1): "THE CRUCIBLE"

Ottawa, CANADA

A shattered crucible embedded in the earth holds the broken dreams and enduring hopes of the victims of communism. Crucible wall fragments, blown apart by the force of the human spirit, enclose a maze-like assembly of 46 rusted steel blades each representing a former or current communist country. The tops of the blades are sheared off, dramatizing the overwhelming flow of life, hopes, ideas and dreams in countries which were not able to safeguard the basic human rights and dignity of their citizens. A spire of hope, containing a bell of memory, transcends the chaos of the shattered crucible, giving form to the triumph of the human spirit over the oppressiveness of communism.

The core area of the memorial, located on a mid-level terrace on the site, straddles two symbolic axes. One connects the porticoes of the Supreme Court and West Memorial Buildings, while the other more powerful axis connects the energetic skyline of Ottawa and its institutions with the freedom and enduring beauty of the Ottawa River, symbolically underscoring both the man-made and natural refuge that Canada provided to its immigrants.

Design Team: AECOM / The Kurylas Studio

Renderings & Video: AECOM

Award: Competition Finalist