Memorial

Smith Point County Park, NY

A one acre ocean front memorial, designed to memorialize the 230 lives lost during the TWA Flight 800 crash on July 17, 1996. With the understanding of the strong emotional ties for the family members to the beachfront park and its ocean, the challenge was to offer a sense of comfort and privacy at the site, while providing access from an adjacent public concession. The families required a "sacred" space to memorialize those lost, as well as a place that would offer enrichment to the community. Utilizing a proportioning system referred to as the golden section, the memorial is planned with a natural harmony and rhythm akin to the human body.  The lines echo the natural marine environment, in which it is set, to offer a sense of sheltered embracement from within, so all may share a feeling of reflection, calm and hope.  Throughout our engagement of design services, our team provided over 4,000 hours of pro-bono services to the benefit of this accomplishment.