In a pure context of nature the disaster doesnt exist: its called change. Nature doesnt have memory. It doesnt recognize guilt. It is set outside any historical order. On the other hand, the monument: architecture without any function, except from commemorating and emphasizing the signifying moments and loci from our collective memory. By introducing a monument into an environment, we force the context into the logic of historical space and time. It is there to leave a trace of our existence or on the other hand to disguise our fear to disappear.
When we commemorate the victims of the Tsunami disaster, we are obliged to focus not on the personal loss and grieve- but rather on this fragile relationship between culture and nature, between the Cartesian space and the entropic unknown. By inserting a perfect square into the site trapped in between the condition of sea and land we propose a reflection on the dialectics of man and nature. We provide a frame of special experience around (and in) a constantly changing piece of nature. Situating the platonic form in between low and high sea level, the square can become an extension of land towards the sea, or can be ´taken´ by the sea and almost disappear.
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This project appeared on europaconcorsi home page slideshow dedicated to mexican architecture. The series was realized in cooperation with Derek Dellekamp. We thank him for his help, kindness and professional advice.