ERIK WEAVER

Paris has had a recent history of terrorist attacks, the most devastating happening on November 13, 2015 where six coordinated attacks took place across the eastern side of Paris. From these attacks, 130 people were killed, and another 368 were injured. All of these attacks have been motivated by a rejection of globalist ideology and France’s participation with western culture.

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I am proposing a memorial space for the victims of such attacks in the heart of Paris, the Place de la Concorde which stands in axis with the French National Assembly. This memorial aims at introducing a cultural shift away from traditional thinking about national identity by manipulating the traditional physical representation of their identity taking the form of the neoclassical Corinthian colonnade. All this is to promote a transformation of self-image to a more inclusive perspective against anti-globalist ideology. The shattered aesthetic of traditional Parisian Architecture is a metaphor for the shattered sense of security and national pride felt by the French people in regards to the recent destructive terrorist attacks.

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Place de la Concorde offers potential in its location being adjacent to Paris’s parliament, l’Assemblée Nationale in the Palais Bourbon, and in its historically charged past. The square provides a space to create a memorial commemorating the victims of the attacks in Paris as well as produce a platform of cultural relevance in light of the revolutions in the past. The memorial acts as an iceberg, only revealing its peak as the entry point down into the mass. This gesture is created using three distorted forms derived from cultural buildings connected by Paris’s strong axes. The memorial creates a space for dissociated reflection below, through the distortion of the neoclassical French style, while simultaneously creating a dialogue between l’Assemblée Nationale and the people.

Location: Paris, France
Program: Memorial

Studio: Final Project
Instructors: Brian DeLuna