A global pandemic not only changed people’s lives and work patterns but also took away many precious lives. To commemorate those who unfortunately passed away due to COVID-19, the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo will set up the world’s first large-scale sea memorial along the coast. The Latin American architectural firm Gómez Platero, responsible for the design of the monument, recently released the design drawings. Despite its unique linear contours and the vast sea as a backdrop, this sea memorial is undoubtedly the most heartbreaking and sorrowful design in the world.
This unique sea memorial adopts a circular design, with a diameter of up to 40 meters. The central part features a 10-meter wide opening, with the hollow space leading down to the sea and rocks below. When viewed from above, its shape resembles a saucer, but the monument is not built with a completely flat design. Instead, it slopes inward from the edges towards the center, creating a three-dimensional profile. At one end of this circular disc-shaped structure, there is a pedestrian walkway that extends outward, allowing people to come from the rocky shore to this sea memorial.
Due to the monument’s location by the sea, it needs to withstand erosion from the water and extreme weather conditions such as intense sunlight or storms. Therefore, when selecting building materials, this aspect was taken into special consideration. Weathering steel is used at the base of the monument facing the sea, making it more sturdy and able to withstand the test of time and environmental factors. As for the side of the monument that leans inwards, concrete will be used as the building material.
The reason why this monument is located at sea is not only to stay away from the hustle and bustle, allowing people to mourn the deceased in a peaceful atmosphere, but also for other purposes, which is to reexamine and reflect on the relationship between people and nature by being in the natural environment, arousing people’s respect for nature. The architectural firm Gómez Platero also hopes that through this monument, they can commemorate what people have lost during this difficult time, not forgetting the efforts that were once made together, reminding people that they are not alone.
Gómez Platero is currently in discussions with the Uruguayan government to finalize the location for the construction of the monument, which is expected to be located in the waterfront area, with an anticipated completion time of 6 months. Additionally, once this sea monument is completed and inaugurated, it will limit the number of visitors to a maximum of 300 each time to maintain a safe social distance.
圖片來源：Gómez Platero
