In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials

by Spencer Bailey, David Adjaye (Contributor)

"A fascinating and insightful meditation on the act of memory as a built reality. " – Daniel Libeskind, architect An extraordinary book that explores the art, architecture, and design of memorials around the world from the late twentieth century to today – an important book for our time Memorials hold a special position in the cultural memory of communities, and collective consciousness of communities, cities, and countries. In Memory Of presents an extraordinary and moving collection of more than 60 exceptional structures commemorating some of the most destructive events of the 20th and 21st centuries, including war, genocide, terrorism, famine, and slavery from around the world. This important book highlights memorials built since 1982, featuring works from Berlin to Washington, D.C., from Montgomery, Alabama to Santiago, Chile, each urging us never to forget. In Memory Of  features memorials designed by some of today's leading architects, including David Adjaye, Tadao Ando, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Peter Eisenman, Daniel Libeskind, Maya Lin, Snøhetta, and Peter Zumthor. It also features memorials designed by artists like Elmgreen & Dragset, Isamu Noguchi, Taryn Simon, and Rachel Whiteread. The book includes well-known structures like Maya Lin's iconic Vietnam War Memorial, completed in 1982 in Washington, D.C. and more recent ones like the poignant National Memorial for Peace and Justice, completed by MASS Design Group in Montgomery, Alabama in 2018. With thoughtful essays on the subjects of hope, strength, grief, loss, and fear, and a moving foreword by Sir David Adjaye, In Memory Of helps to contextualize the projects and addresses the emotional aspects of memorialization. Beautifully designed with a minimal, reflective cover, and illustrated with 200 photographs, this book calls out to be experienced, felt, looked at, interpreted, and read in a variety of ways.  

Genres: Architecture, Design, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 28, 2020

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A passable survey that suffers from its myopic, borderline orthodox framing of what makes a worthy contemporary memorial. (The lackluster book design reinforces its limited viewpoint to boot.) No doubt, the power of Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial looks to be eternally evergreen. But lightning rarely strikes twice, and this book inadvertently makes the case for a new memorial design paradigm. One that is warmer, more kinetic and inclusive; less coldly abstract and beholden to tired modernist architecture tropes.