More than three years after the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a design team has been named to create a permanent memorial and museum in memory of the 49 people murdered in June 2016.
French firm Coldefy & Associés will lead the design, working in collaboration with RDAI, also based in France, and Orlando’s HHCP Architects, as well as Xavier Veilhan, dUCKS scéno, Agence TER, and DePaul University professor Laila Farah.
The nonprofit onePULSE Foundation, established shortly after the tragedy, launched the design competition earlier this year with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. More than 60 teams entered, and finalists included Diller, Scofidio + Renfro and Rene Gonzalez Architects, Heneghan Peng Architects, MASS Design Group, MVRDV, and Studio Libeskind.
The winning concept features a fountain and shallow reflecting pool encircling the Pulse nightclub building. The team also proposes a spiraling museum with a rooftop terrace overlooking the Pulse memorial and gardens, where 49 trees will be planted, memorializing those who lost their lives.
The design is not final, but will serve “as a starting point for discussion,” according to a statement from the onePULSE Foundation.
“We are proud of Orlando as an inclusive community and the way it united in response to such a tragic event. It is an honor to be a part of a project that makes a positive impact not only on our community but the entire world,” a spokesperson from HHCP tells RECORD. “We will not let hate win.”
The memorial and museum are expected to open in 2022.