Descripción:

The Memory Garden is situated on the site where the Mónaco building stood for over 30 years, a place that bore witness to a painful chapter in the history of Medellín. Therefore, the project represents an opportunity to transform a symbol associated with death and destruction into one that embodies change and hope.

Similar to how the urban fabric of the city of Medellín adapts to the irregular topography of the Aburrá Valley, the proposal is structured by overlaying an orthogonal grid onto the existing terrain. This creates various pathways in a space where vegetation, water, and light converge to guide visitors from a site of communal gathering to a place of intimate reflection. It’s a convergence of opposites, where orthogonal geometry and organic nature, light, and darkness blend to form a space for contemplation and remembrance.

This guiding principle of the space encourages the emergence of new narratives and stories that prompt reflection on the events that unfolded in this location. The aim is to reevaluate, commemorate, and respectfully honor the victims. Through the orthogonal grid, the intention is to acknowledge the past while embracing a new and improved present.

Architecture of the journey, creation of symbolism through experience

As such, the public park “”Space of Memory and Reflection”” transitions into the “”Memory Garden,”” an open, inclusive space integrated into the surrounding neighborhood and the wider network of public spaces. It is fashioned from existing vegetation enriched with native species, creating areas for contemplation and gatherings on different scales. These spaces can evolve over time, adapting to daily use as neighborhood-scale amenities or as a focal point at the city level.

The journey through the garden serves as a preamble to the “”Pavilion of Memory,”” a descending linear passage that capitalizes on the site’s topography. It immerses visitors in a water surface that links the garden and the sky, leading them towards the narrative, where past and present converge.

A “”Monolith Stone”” – a vertical structure crafted from black granite where water and light merge – emerges from the water mirror as a distinctive feature within the landscape. It serves as a commemorative element that marks the transition from the garden to the pavilion. Inside, visitors encounter 460 points of light, symbolizing the more than 46,000 lives lost during this dark period, when drug trafficking ravaged entire generations of young people in the city, casting society into a culture of death and fear.

The Pavilion of Memory comprises two distinct moments. The first is one of darkness, as visitors descend through a narrow, shadowy ramp that connects them with this violent and tragic chapter of history. The second moment leads to light, where the movement of water, its interplay with light, combined with sound and the exterior gardens, create a space for personal reflection, purification, and healing. A commemorative wall accompanies this segment of the pavilion, allowing for temporary interventions that honor the victims, serving as offerings in their memory.

“We are the memory we possess and the responsibility we embrace. Without memory, we cease to exist, and without responsibility, perhaps we are undeserving of existence.”” – José Saramago”