AWA Letterhead AWA New York Studio 15 August 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Page 1 of 1
‘ARK OF RETURN’ UNVEILED A Memorial Honoring Victims of Slavery Opens at the UN Headquarters in New York City Lighting Designer: AWA Lighting Designers Brooklyn NY Architect: Rodney Leon Architects
CONTACT Abhay Wadhwa Design Principal l CEO 61 Greenpoint Avenue Suite 306 Brooklyn NY 11222 212.473.9797 abhay@awalightingdesigners.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOLLOW US ON LINKEDIN READ OUR BLOG LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
PROJECT OVERVIEW New York NY – July 2015 Internationally reputed and award-winning firm, AWA Lighting Designers, has completed the lighting design for the ‘Ark of Return’ in New York NY. The project opened to critical acclaim recently. Designed by Rodney Leon of Rodney Leon Architects, the ‘Ark of Return’ is a memorial in honor of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and will be permanently on display at the Plaza at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. The memorial project process was started over five years ago by UNESCO and the Permanent Memorial Committee. The memorial was conceived with support from the UN Department of Public Information’s Remember Slavery Programme, and Member States from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union. Several nations, along with UNESCO, helped raise over $1.7 million to build the memorial. Links: AWA Lighting Designers Rodney Leon Architects United Nations UNESCO
1
view of memorial looking north
AWA Letterhead AWA New York Studio 15 August 2012
PROJECT Page 1 ofHIGHLIGHTS 1
The concept for the design of the memorial by Rodney Leon emerged from three important elements that individually and collectively generated the design solution. • Acknowledge the Tragedy • Consider the Legacy • Lest We Forget The lighting design solution aimed to create a respectful space, that augmented the visitors journey through the ‘Ark of Return’ - conceptually, psychologically and spiritually - to a place where acknowledgement, education, reflection and healing can take place.
2
unveiling of monument by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN delegates
3
view of memorial looking east towards the East River
4
niche within the monument that holds human sculpture, called ‘the trinity figure’
PROJECT TEAM CLIENT ARCHITECT LIGHTING DESIGNER YEAR VISUALS
• • • • •
United Nations Rodney Leon Architects AWA Lighting Designers 2014 - 2015 AWA
WHO WE ARE Headquartered in New York City, AWA is an international architectural lighting design firm founded by Abhay Wadhwa. We design and implement lighting solutions for commercial, civic, cultural, and residential projects—creating solutions that evoke a sense of place instead of mere space. In addition to our New York headquarters and studio, we have studios in Mumbai and New Delhi, India and a coordinating office in Dubai, UAE. Global in our focus, we honor the varied nuances of every project and deliver world-class buildings, interior spaces and infrastructure. A deep love for the medium of light means we continue to find innovative solutions so it goes deep into the shadows allowing both light and dark to harmoniously co-exist.