Memorial Headstones Park for Victims of Violent Attacks in Mexico City

Memorial Headstones Park for Victims of Violent Attacks in Mexico City

The site is located in Mexico City's most important Chapultepec Park.  Part of the forest belongs to the federal government and was monitored for decades by Mexico's Defense Ministry;  So first of all, the memorial project means restoring 15,000 square meters of public space.  

Part of the building is the monument, where we can find cultural and historical commemoration and memory;  In the special "Memorial to the Victims of Violence in Mexico", we realize, in terms of architecture, the most important current issue in Mexican society: violence.  It's a big open wound;  In response, we proposed an open program, open to cities and citizens;  A project has a strong relationship with the city and its citizens.  The cultivation of public space and the commemoration of the victims of violence are the essence of the project.  

Our project plays a dual role: public space and memorial park.  But the most important identity of the site is the forest, with a very strong natural presence;  Existing trees define the properties of the site.  Violence is metaphorically defined in two scales: gaps and structures.  

The void in the project refers to the space between the steel wall and the trees.  This void, or void, reminds us of those who passed away, and the surface of the wall, rusty or mirror-smooth, shows that we can be lost, replenished or multiple of ourselves.  In addition, if violence is defined as destruction, 70 steel-walled buildings are the best antidote to violence.  

The grand project action consists of 70 corrosion-resistant steel metal walls that stand between trees;  This is the dual status between nature and structure: forest and forest wall.  Trees and tourists play the living;  The walls represent the dead victims of violence.  

Reduced bill of Materials: steel and concrete, added to natural element forest.  We use corrosion-resistant steel in three ways: natural, rusted or mirrored, each with its own meaning.  Rusty steel represents the marks and scars left by time in our lives.  Mirrored stainless steel is used to reflect and mirror life: people, trees and water in the center of space;  Steel in its natural state, as an undisturbed element, reminds us of the prevailing and fundamental value that society must remain peaceful.  Concrete is used for the driveway and benches for walking and thinking.  

In this area the steel walls become thicker and taller, creating a strong drama throughout the site.  The reflections of trees and walls in the water make our eyes look up and down.  When we look up, we see the sky, the light, the sun...  There is hope.  

Finally, the most important part of the project is the humanization and appropriation of the steel walls.  Society has a responsibility for this memorial park.  There are 70 walls where people can write the names of victims of violence and express their pain, anger and longing.  These walls are mirrors, blackboards and, through writing, witnesses to the pain and destruction caused by violence.