Winners Announced for Buildner’s Fourth Annual Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial Competition

Published on November 28, 2024

Buildner has announced the results of its competition, the Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial No. 4. This competition is held each year to support the universal ban on nuclear weapons. In 2017, on the 75th anniversary of the 1945 bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which claimed the lives of over 100,000 people, the United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

In recognition of this treaty, Buildner invites conceptual designs for a memorial to be located on any known decommissioned nuclear weapon testing site. The conceptual memorial is intended to reflect the history and ongoing threat of nuclear weapons, aiming to promote public awareness of nuclear disarmament.

The challenge aims to raise awareness about the history and dangers of nuclear weapons. Participants are tasked with designing a space that commemorates nuclear warfare victims and conveys the need for a nuclear-free future. As a "silent" competition, submissions must refrain from using text, titles, or annotations, relying solely on design to communicate their message.

Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial No. 5 is launched

The next edition of this competition, the Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial No. 5, has been launched with a 10,000 EUR prize fund and a registration deadline of January 16, 2025.

Memorial Design

The competition underscores the role of memorials in preserving historical memory, offering lessons from past events to inform future actions. This particular memorial would act as a physical reminder of the risks associated with nuclear weapons, highlighting the importance of diplomacy and international cooperation. By commemorating the impacts of nuclear warfare, it aims to promote a commitment to peace and disarmament.

Key designs might include:

Symbolizing an End to Nuclear Weapons: The design should evoke a vision of a nuclear-free future through symbolic elements representing peace and unity.
Creating a Lasting Legacy: The memorial should offer a space that encourages long-term reflection, underscoring the global importance of nuclear disarmament.
Promoting Public Education: The memorial should inform visitors about nuclear warfare's historical and ongoing impacts, advocating for awareness and responsibility.
Inspiring Reflection: Through its design, the memorial should create an emotionally resonant experience that encourages contemplation on the subject.
Emphasizing Sustainability: The design should align with ecological considerations, supporting a commitment to a peaceful and sustainable future.

Jury Panel

Buildner collaborated with a distinguished international jury panel, featuring:

Flora Lee, Associate Partner of MAD Architects' Los Angeles office
Olha Kleytman from SBM Studio in Kharkiv, Ukraine
Paul Monaghan of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris | AHMM in London
Peter Newman, a UK-based artist
Vincent Panhuysen, co-founder of KAAN Architecten in the Netherlands
James Whitaker, a British architect and founder of Whitaker Studio
Wu Ziye, head of Mix Architecture in China

Buildner's other ongoing competitions include: the 2025 edition of the Kingspan MICROHOME competition; the Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge to address the housing crisis in Colorado by inviting innovative design solutions for mid-rise, single-stair housing; and the 2025 House of the Future competition, organized in collaboration with the government of Dubai, which invites architects to design innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced residential concepts that embody Dubai's vision for the future of urban living, where winning submissions are intended to be constructed.

Projects:

First Prize Winner + Buildner Student Award

Project title: Hidden Forest
Authors: Juan González Blanco, Germany

The project showcases a crater filled with a forest, where trees are arranged in concentric circles along the stepped slopes of the crater. At its center lies a body of clear water, with the stepped terrain extending into it. The forest creates the impression of a hidden oasis, contrasting sharply with the surrounding brown, arid, almost desert-like landscape.

Second Prize Winner

Project title: The Lightness
Authors: Salvador Colin Aguilar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Mexico

The submission presents a light installation featuring what appears to be thousands of spherical fixtures embedded in the sloping soil of a bomb crater. The result is a space that glows from within at night, evoking the imagery of a volcano.

Third Prize Winner

Project title: The Scrutiny
Authors: Kongyun He and Michele Turrini, USA

This project envisions a monument situated on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Similar to the iconic Vietnam Memorial, it cuts into the landscape, creating a wound-like structure that serves as an internal viewing gallery. Its sloped design acts as a surface where the elongated shadows of visitors are cast, eerily projecting human forms onto the vast landform.