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grove

learning center

sunken garden

approach

In May 1981 an article appeared in the New York

Times titled Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexu-

als. Hidden deep within the paper, it was not

paid much attention but this would be a harbin-

ger of what was to come. A few months later

AIDS was declared an epidemic. We have takeninspiration from those rst 41 men to guide our

proposal for the AIDS Memorial Project.

The parks four main elements the birch tree

grove, the sunken garden, the eld of native

NYC AIDS Memorial Park Competition

Entry Number: 7224

grasses and owers, and the Learning Center

represent a timeline of the past, present and

future of the AIDS epidemic in New York.

Together they form a green space for the

community that is a versatile site for recreation,

gathering, remembering, and learning.

The Learning Center holds the north face of the

site with the main entry located at the intersec-

tion of Greenwich and West 12th. The north-

facing wall is glass which washes the interior

with northern light and allows views from the

street into the space, lending a high level of

visibility to exhibitions, installations, or events.

The interior ramps down, where the south faade

facing the sunken garden can be opened,

creating an indoor / outdoor space forperformances, meetings, or events.

The sunken garden is carved by terracing the

earth, creating a space that functions as an

amphitheater. This is a place to gather,

representing the development of the AIDS

community in New York City in the 1980s and

90s the profound mobilization of thousands of

activists, doctors, nurses, caregivers, family

members, friends and lovers.

The adjacent eld of native grasses and owers is

an open eld that represents the hope for the

future. As plants and owers change with the

seasons it transforms the park with new growth.

Throughout the eld there are multiple areas for

sitting and gathering.

The grove of 41 birch trees, planted on a grid,

provides a place of peaceful order, a counter-

point to the confusion, fear and misinformation

at the beginning of the epidemic. The spacewithin the trees is activated by the light ltered

through the leaves and branches and is

interspersed with benches for meditation and

contemplation. The trees will continue to grow

and change through the years and seasons and

are a living memory of the 41 men who are

symbols of the public face of AIDS in New York

City. At night this grove comes alive with

thousands of small LED lights scattered through-

out the trees and ground plane, representing the

thousands of those impacted by the disease.

Thirty years after the beginning of the AIDS crisis

in New York City we continue to face the issues of

misinformation, complacency and challenges

such as the side eects of long term treatment.

This park is a place to

were and continue to b

community that organ

place to celebrate survi

ments. It is also a place

toward a future withou