Colours of Remembrance: National Pulse Memorial & Museum in Orlando

Under the aegis of the onePULSE Foundation, a charitable organization devoted to preserving the memory of the victims of the attack that took place at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on 12 June 2016, Colefy & Associés will collaborate with RDAI, HHCP Architects, Xavier Veilhan, dUCKS scéno, Agence TER and Prof. Laila Farah to design the National Pulse Memorial & Museum.

The winning design, which won out over submissions by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, MVRDV and Studio Libeskind, will serve as a starting point for the coming building phases. On the site of the former nightclub, a reflecting pool will surround the memorial while 49 circular, coloured lines - commemorating the 49 victims - will create the overall structure as they flow into a round, covered garden with 49 trees.

To complement the National Pulse Memorial, the design envisions a helical, open-air museum and education centre with vertical gardens, open plazas and a rooftop promenade. Buddy Dyer, the mayor of Orlando, emphasizes that the project is directed not only at the LGBTQ community, but also promotes the city’s legacy as a place of belonging and acceptance for all. The onePULSE Foundation plans to open the memorial in 2022.