'ORBITS' SELECTED FINAL DESIGN FOR NEW COLD WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- In April last year, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, located in Chicago, launched an international competition for the new Cold War Veterans Memorial to be built in Somers, Wisconsin, as a part of the Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center (PAMPC) project.

After reviewing an impressive number of inspiring design concepts, Orbits, designed by Jenny Wu and Dwayne Oyler of Oyler Wu Collaborative in Los Angeles, California, was selected as the final design of the competition.

“Each submitted design was remarkable and very inspiring. The final decision was tough, but after much discussion, we believe that the Orbits design will truly resemble a place where everyone who contributed to the Cold War will be honoured,” said Col Jennifer Pritzker, Founder of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in a statement.

“This memorial is special and very dear to many because people who sacrificed during this era are not recognised enough. Our goal is to make sure that our gratitude to these individuals is signified through this project.”

From its formal structure to its shaped surroundings, the memorial emerges from the ground to become an architectural tribute to Cold War veterans, embodying the dedication, optimism, and hope that is emblematic of their enduring spirit.

Collectively, the memorial unifies these complex narratives through juxtaposition, recognising its interconnected history - one of sacrifice, triumph, and innovation.

The concept Orbits by Oyler Wu Collaborative received the unanimous recommendation of the jury as the selected design and the design team. In their summary report, the Jury said the imagery of this concept invites discovery, the setting is respectful of the site, and a variety of paths and experiences can be explored and provide a palette for interpretation.

The Design Competition was a two-stage juried process. Stage 1 was an open call to submit design concepts for the memorial. In Stage 2, the finalists evolved their concepts for the memorial to create fully defined designs.

The design challenge was to provide a conceptual design for the Cold War Veterans Memorial that embraces the mission statement, exemplifies the guiding vision, and achieves the design goals authored by the Cold War Veterans Memorial Steering Committee.

The finalists rose to the challenge and submitted designs that showed their passionate exploration of how to portray the scale and complexity of the Cold War for current and future generations.

-- BERNAMA