The Last
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

A frontier the size of a nuclear blast site is defined by a series of timber members driven into the earth. Within this ethereal perimeter, black stones are brought by visitors, filling the site over time, creating an always larger, more impactful and visible mark on the otherwise sandy white terrain. The jury writes: “A poetic story is unfolded within a single board. The suggested interaction between the visitors and the monument brings depth and sentimental value to the rather minimalistic proposal. It is a beautiful idea that evolves in time, creating an expanding monument. Starting with an empty enclosure - something light and almost invisible - is a powerful concept.” One juror also referenced the likeness of the proposal to the Jewish tradition of placing stones on the graves of the dead.

The project proposes a clean break in the ridge of a blast crater - an entry point into the site and monument. This linear doorway breaks dramatically from the otherwise organic buildup of the earth. This strong axis continues as a walkway into a lake that has filled the interior of the crater, immersing visitors within the water. The proposal relies heavily on the variation between black and white to create powerful, solemn imagery. According to the jury: “The poetic nature of the images portrays the scale of this testing site in a dramatic manner. The submerged walkway to the center of the site surrounded by water echoes the feeling of emptiness. The project is a form of land art installation based on the gradation of impressions and a framing of the landscape. Passing through a narrow crevice crossing a natural hill, we come across a footbridge immersed in water, which can be read as a reference to the religious rites of cleansing.”

A field of earthen or stone bodies - bodies of various people and animals alike - immortalizes the scale of destruction and loss nuclear blasts have and may continue to deliver. The project portrays these bodies as weathered and hosting wild flowers that seem to have taken root over time, at once signaling both life and decay. The jury writes: “The proposal is simple yet powerful, delivering an overwhelming message with one concise idea. The design approach is practical and yet successfully generates a special spatial experience. The idea that bodies, through a process of decomposition, return to life under the form of a garden, is a powerful concept. Time, transformation, and circularity become tools for a definition of an ecological approach in which other non-human species are taken into consideration in the design process. This shocking, spectacular, large-scale spatial installation reminds us that the victims of nuclear bombs are the entire ecosystem - people, animals, plants. The project also reminds us that we are all part of the eternal, repeating cycles of nature, and that destructive human activity should never disrupt them.”