Sponsored by Skylawn Memorial Park, California this open competition sought to create “a place of reflection and education, a landmark where people can gather to find strength and inspiration to continue to drive positive change.” My proposal centered on a Real Yellowwood tree, the national tree of South Africa, and as such should be thought of as a living memorial. Since antiquity, memorial benches have commemorated loved ones, not just with a plaque… but with a sense of place. Inscribed with Mr. Mandela’s words, the bronze backs to these four benches essentially define an outdoor room… an immersive sacred zone that one enters, rests, ponders, and then passes on to other destinations.
