The Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Competition Brief

Participants were tasked with creating a memorial at a decommissioned nuclear weapon testing site.

In response to the global silence surrounding the issue of nuclear testing participants were required to submit their designs with no description text.

The architecture ideas were to be communicated in one A4 board containing only visuals.

‘Once the Box Has Been Opened, Can You Ever Put the Terrors Back Inside?’
Location: Trinity Test Site, New Mexico, USA

The Submission

My Partner

Dennis Erickson, Ph.D.

Dr. Erickson is a distinguished physicist retired from the University of California following a 35-year tenure as a member of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Northern New Mexico. His Laboratory roles included those of scientific leader, senior-level manager and institutional executive with accomplishments spanning basic & applied science, large R&D programs, hazardous operations, and protection programs for safety, health & environment. Following retirement in 2006, he has focused on selected public service endeavors.

Throughout his career, Dennis has been a leader in developing safety practices for weapons testing. He was a key player in many peace negotiations dedicated to advancing global scientific collaboration while minimizing harm to the public.

R&D

Our goal for this memorial design was to celebrate the miraculous scientific discoveries that led to the creation of nuclear weapons and also to argue that the only path to peace is through international collaboration.

There are 9 countries registered as nuclear powers. Reaching disarmament requires a trust-but-verify agreement to be reached between all of them.

Color Palette honors Native tribes near Trinity Test Site.

Ceramic cranes are inlaid to honor the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Pandora is a metaphor for the scientific curiosity that has unleashed nuclear weapons on the world.

Evolution of atomic models show the scientific discoveries that led to nuclear fission, which led to the first Trinity Test, which opened Pandora’s nuclear box.

The Submission is currently under review.
If you would like to learn more about this project…