Conceal/Surface - 228 National Memorial Park


Design selected in an international competition
A UC Berkeley design team has won the competition for a 15-acre park in Chiayi, Taiwan, a monument to peace commemorating the 228 Incident - a tragedy which occurred on February 28, 1947, when government soldiers killed thousands of Taiwanese citizens. It was illegal to discuss the events of 1947 until 1992 when the Taiwanese government issued a formal apology.

The design team, comprised of Professor Judith Stilgenbauer and graduate students Kit Shihting Wang and Calder Gillin, named their proposal Conceal/Surface, stating: (it) is about time, growth and the inevitable revelation of historical truths. The central design element is the bamboo room, a partially sunken courtyard planted with bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) and enclosed by semi-translucent glass walls offering veiled views of the bamboo within. An underground glass enclosed viewing room will provide floor-to-ceiling view of the bamboo room.

Link: 228 National Memorial Park
Link: Selected proposals
Release: UC Berkeley - Professor, students win design competition for Taiwan peace park












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memorial for amnesia
Posted by jason on 4/2/2006 3:15:00 AM

The 228 massacre was one of poorly resolved tragedy resulted from post-colonial and WWII aftermath's transitional government violence upon civilians. Because of the Cold War and an autocratic ruling regime, the historic event was held as political taboo for decades and only recently surfaced mostly as some politicians' manipulative discussion ploy.
Many readers here may find no attachment to this historic past of Taiwan, however, much similar to the discussion of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and else where, if memorial competitions were held for the political agenda of continuous amnesia for significant historic events, design professionals who have long championed "social justice" and "historic memory" must then pause and reevaluate the participation of such opportunities.

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