A Monument to Peace | ARC4021A Topic Studio

A MONUMENT TO

PEACE

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TABLE of CONTEN

NTS

1 Context

1.1 The Salton Sea 1.2 Site Boundaries 1.3 Ascension

2 Concept

2.1 Symbols of Peace 2.2 The Tablets

3 Design & Production 3.1 The Layout 3.2 The Elements 3.4 The Interior

4 Credit

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Context 4

1.1

1.2

1.3

The Salton Sea - Site Boundaries - Ascension

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1.1

Designed by Albert Frey and built by developers Ray Ryan and Trav Rogers in 1959, the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club served as clubhouse with a marina at the Northeastern shore of the Salton Sea. Round windows reminiscent of nautical portholes mark the iconic building. The yacht club was opened in 1959 as part of a $2 million development along the northeastern shore of the Salton Sea which would have become California’s largest marina.

The current iteration of the Salton Sea was formed in the early 1900s when a levee was breached, which was meant to divert Colorado River waters. These flooding waters ended up filling a basin which was dry at the time, forming the sea which has existed in many different forms over the years, depending on the changing fluxes of the Colorado River.

In its heyday, the Salton Sea was a bustling desert getaway for sailing, fishing and picnics. The clubhouse was a spot for recreation and socializing, with a cocktail lounge where you could watch the boats in the marina.

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The Salton Sea

Ever-increasing salinity from agricultural runoff from both the Coachella Valley and Imperial County combined with fluctuating water levels culminated in a major flood in 1981, destroying the club’s jetty and making it impossible for boats to dock at the club. The clubhouse would be completely closed by 1984. Like the majority of the buildings which surround it, the North Shore Beach and Yacht Club was abandoned and vandalized.

“In no other place in the world can you enjoy the unique advantages of North Shore Beach & Yacht Club. Sailing and water-skiing in the midst of the desert in the playground of America, the North Shore of Salton Sea.”

A grant to rehabilitate the property allowed for a restoration of Frey’s design and the club reopened in 2010 as a community center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 along with several other Albert Frey’s designs in Palm Springs. Today, the Salton Sea level is dropping as it dries up and becomes increasingly saline. The fate of the Salton Sea is unfortunately uncertain, but Frey’s nautical clubhouse thankfully stands intact, ready to be reintroduced as part of a bigger plan to revitalize what used to be a resort destination full of life and potential.

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1.2

Site Boundaries

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1.3

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Ascension

“Inspired by the ancient art of origami, Ascension depicts a crane at its first moments of flight. It is intended as an inspiration of thought and action.

And it stands as a symbol of hope and a prelude to ascension through awareness and understanding.”

Behn Samareh Ascension, also known as COCO, was imagined and created by the Crimson Collective, a group of creative artists, architects, and designers, based on the Japanese legend of a thousand cranes.

COCO is a giant white origami crane with a 150-ft-wide wingspan, reaching a height of 45 ft. It is crafted from planes of white fabric and has a modular aluminum and tension wire skeleton.

COCO had its inaugural exhibit at the 2010 Coachella Music and Art Festival where it was experienced by more than 100,000 attendees at the annual festival.

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Concept 12

2.1

2.2

Symbols of Peace - The Tablets

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2.1

Symbols of Peace

The design of this memorial explores the different understandings of peace as seen through different cultures. Like many other notions, peace means different things to different people.

How is peace defined? Is peace just the absence of war, or is it created by the deliberate actions of individuals?

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2.2

The Tablets

Upon returning to Noah, the drove held a leaf in its beak, symbolic of Forgiveness.

Hope is the birth of a better tomorrow, where there is an internal manifestation of brightness to come.

The different interpretations and symbols of peace are distilled into their core concepts, and depicted on a series of concrete tablets along a path. Each of these tablets depict different elements and motivations, as well as the specific actions that foster Peace.

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After the flood, God sent Noah a rainbow, which symbolized Promise.

In a world without war, the Broken Rifle signifies freedom and liberty.

A period of freedom to fight for a world free from nuclear weapons.

All must be protected from the ravages of war and neglect, for without them life would be nothing but a rude and ignorant time on Earth.

Standing for more than Victory, it stands for solidarity, resistance, and never giving up.

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Design & Production 18

3.1

3.2

3.3

The Layout - The Elements - The Interior

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3.1

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The Layout

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3.1

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The Layout

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3.1

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The Layout

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3.2

The Elements

The Reading Tablet welcomes the visitors upon entry, introducing them to the key features of the project. It displays an overview of the symbols of peace, giving a glimpse into the journey ahead.

UNSURPASSED DESERT BEAUTY BY THE SEA The story behind this project relates to what peace means? Peace is expressed through different signs and symbols. Peace means something different to each individual, and through this project we started with exploring the root of 8 symbols that come from different cultures, traditions,eras, and events. The symbols selected are white poppy, peace sign, pax cultural system, peace symbol, broken riffle, rainbow, dove and finally coco. Set in the quiet outdoors, visitors get to walk through the history of peace, to experience one symbol at a time until they reach the end to meet Coco the crane for an exciting surprise.

After WWI, a poem “In Flanders Fields” by militant Mcrae brought to light the symbolism of red poppies growing on battlefields that had nothing left. They became representative of hope and the poppies then began to be sold everywhere as a way to shed light, where even in the midst of death flowers still bloom.

During WW2 the V sign was symbolic of victory as well as reliance, power, and never giving up. It started by a radio broadcaster’s to his people awaiting a moment of weakness against their occupier. The symbol turned into a trademark; it was on walls, planes, in protests, and Germany banned it.

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A S C E N S I O N

A JOURNEY THROUGH PEACE Peace is the desire of every beating heart. Peace is the hope of every nation, the promise of every politician, the pulse of every religious tradition, the goal of every prayer. Peace is the bold, courageous and ultimate response to the notion that violence provides any viable solution for the conflicts of our world.

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3.2

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The Elements

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3.2

The Elements

The Tablet Production Process first starts with preparing the form work by CNC-milling grooves into a large sheet of Komatex. Strips of Komatex are also used as the 4 walls of the form work.

Laser-cut EVA foam letters are then glued to the bottom of the form work to create the desired relief on the front of the tablet.

High-density foam insulation block is mechanically cut to be embedded inside, substantially reducing the weight of the final product. Attached to this foam block are two steel pipes that stay fixed within the hydrocal, providing an inner cavity for re-bar to slide up, keeping the tablet upright for foundational support.

Once all the components have been prepared, hydrocal is mixed and poured into the form work in two layers. Afterwards, the hydrocal is left to cure for at least 24 hours.

After curing, the form is demolded and the back of the tablet is painted black to allow the viewers to inscribe their own interpretations using chalk.

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TABLET FABRICATION PROCESS

1 KOMATEX®

CNC Milling Grooves for Formwork

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Lasercut Desired Letters INVERSED

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3 HIGH-DENSITY INSULATION FOAM

Mechanically Cut Cavity for Inserting Pipes

EVA FOAM

HYDROCAL®

Mixing and Pouring 1st layer

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CUT-OUT FOAM LETTERS

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FOAM WITH PIPES ATTACHED Positioned on Top of Bottom Layer of Hydrocal®

PVC PIPE

Mechanically Cut

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HYDROCAL®

Mixing and Pouring 2nd layer

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tel

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Glued down to Base

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FORMWORK Removed

8 PIPE EXCESS

Mechanically Trimmed

9 CHALKBOARD PAINT Applied to Back

Mock-Up Process 33

3.2

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The Elements

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Interspersed with these tablets are also other design elements that are meant to instill the feeling of calm and tranquility. These elements and experiences aid in the manifestation of inner peace and stillness as an inspiration and motivation for outward action.

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3.2

The Meditation Garden draws upon meditation practices with a circular winding path geared toward internal focus, allowing contemplation of one’s purpose without any physical end destination.

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3.2

The Elements

The Bell Tower Sound is a major component of many spiritual practices, as is one’s connection to nature. The bell tower is a component of this design that acts as a representation and transformation of the natural element of wind into audible sound to bridge the gap between inner and outer awareness.

The Bell Tower is a 24-feet tall musical instrument constructed from 2 x 6” wooden planks and secured by metal cables. The interlacing cables intersect at three distinct points in which the smaller wind chimes can be found suspended centrally in a moment of time. The variable heights of the structure create a dynamic rhythm that whirls around to capture the windy location. In turn, the sounds of the wind are echoed by the deep hum of the bells. In contrast, the wind chimes are lighter and purer in tone. Below, the pile of balancing stones signifies patience, steadiness, and durability. Rock stacking carries spiritual meaning across many cultures. The sacred hexagon geometry of the tower which is also a symbol of harmony and balance within itself.

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3.2

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Origami Making Space provides the opportunity for the visitors to create their own origami cranes. An instructional tablet guides the visitors through the process.

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3.2

The Pontoon bridge allows the visitors to occupy the surface of the water and gain a new perspective of COCO. 44

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3.2

Ascension - COCO Sadako Sasaki was a young Japanese girl and survivor of the Hiroshima bombing.

Inspired by the Japanese legend, Sadako set out to fold a thousand cranes and wish for the end of War. COCO the crane is the manifestation of Sadako’s determination, and has since become an international symbol of peace.

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3.3

As an international symbol of peace and prosperity, COCO provides the culmination of our journey, where the many perspectives have been distilled into a series of simple directives, to inspire individual action towards the manifestation of global peace.

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The Interior

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Credit 52

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CONTRIBUTORS

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Carissa Auth

Nathan Chavez

Alondra Cuevas

Nguyen Doan

Maria Echeverria

Juan Hernandez

Karthika Illikkal

Anne-Marie Jao

Rene Leon

Bryan Matias

Layan Mudallal

Sandy Nasif

T Behnam Samareh (Instructor)

his project is the work of a team of fourth year architecture students for a semester-long topic studio taught at Cal Poly Pomona. The goal of this studio was to re-design a section of the exterior grounds of the yacht club to house an existing large scale spatial installation, and to develop the area in response to the club’s recent functional and environmental changes.

Molly O’Connor

Juan Raya-Garcia

Christian Rodriguez

Rana Safadi

Marina Samaan

Monica Shenouda

Emily Ta

William Tan

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