Pritzker Military Museum & Library Announces Finalists in International Design Competition for the Cold War Veterans Memorial

Somers, Wisconsin, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In April 2021, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, located in Chicago, launched an international competition for the new Cold War Veterans Memorial to be built in Somers, Wisconsin. After reviewing an impressive number of inspiring design concepts, four finalists have been selected to advance to Stage II of the competition. The Cold War Veterans Memorial will be a critical piece of the Pritzker Archives and Memorial Park Center (PAMPC) currently under development.

“In missions on and off the battlefield, Americans of all stripes made immense sacrifices in defense of our national interest. They deserve to be recognized, and the weight of this era deserves to be understood. This Memorial will provide a place where their contributions are honored,” said Col. Jennifer Pritzker, Founder of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. 

The four finalists are representatives from the U.S., Italy, Japan, and Jordan. These individuals and groups achieved the highest scores against strict criteria, including individuality, relevance, and conceptualization. The design challenge was to provide a conceptual design for the Cold War Veterans Memorial that embraces the mission statement, exemplifies the guiding vision, and achieves the design goals. The finalists include:

• INFINITE LIFE - Michele De Lucchi con Francesco Forcella (project architect), Nicholas Bewick, Junmei Liu, Emanuele Novembre, Guido Tarantola, Mayya Sargsyan of AMDL CIRCLE in Milan, Italy
  • Although this Memorial project was born out of the importance of respecting and honoring those that served during the Cold War period, we also see its relevance as a heroic symbol towards our continually evolving universe and the existence of human life. 

For this reason, we have chosen not only the metaphor of infinity, by evoking the ‘Moebius Loop or Orbit’ in our design concept, but also to create an experience and place from which to think about our complex global interrelationships, in the hope that they can find a harmony that links every single person and preserves the physical environment in which we all live.

• THE CONFLICT - Mai Abu-Shanab and Jalal  Al-Sadi of  m+j architect studio atelier in Amman, Jordan
  • This cold war memorial is intended to honor individuals and groups and give a permanent recognition to accomplishments, as quietly made, by countless individuals and groups as they pursued the expansion of freedom and democracy, creating a place for reflection and remembrance, inspiring the public to perceive freedom for centuries to come.
• ORBITS OF TIME - Jenny Wu and Dwayne Oyler of Oyler Wu Collaborative in Los Angeles, California, USA
  • The proposed design envisions a memorial that embodies the ideals and mission of Memorial Park, making more tactile a context that can’t be measured in a single name or event: only in glimpses of history. Within these glimpses is layered a timeline of both personal and collective experiences emblematic of the Cold War – a paradigm that rebalances the interconnected narratives of American innovation and service.
• ETERNAL CIRCULATION - Shinsaku Munemoto of Shinsaku Munemoto & Associates, Architects in Kyoto, Japan
  • This memorial intends to preserve the memories, records, and achievements of the veterans in perpetuity. By uncovering the layer of land, one space separates into two. The space of the “past” underneath meets the layers of the veterans’ work and time, where one can relive the veterans’ history and memories of the Cold War. The satellite dish formed above forges the “present” space to transmit the histories and memories. Through the hole opened in the unfolded land, the archive is seen, bridging the “past” records to the “present,” creating an ETERNAL CIRCULATION of education and communication.

"We were impressed by the number of inspiring design submissions that were received," states Donald J. Stastny, FAIA, FAICP, FCIP, Competition Manager. "It wasn't an easy decision, but we are very confident in the four finalists chosen to move forward. Their conceptual designs best embraced the mission and vision of the Memorial, and we can see them serve as an attraction for visitors."

The Cold War Veterans Memorial's guiding vision is to create permanent recognition that stimulates ongoing thought and study that honors American military members and civilians who served and sacrificed during the Cold War era (1945-1991). In line with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission, the Cold War Veterans Memorial aims to increase the public understanding of military history.

Stage II

In Stage II, the four groups of selected finalists will evolve their concepts for the Memorial and create more fully defined design concepts by late February 2022. Procedures in this stage include a virtual competition briefing, Q&A, mid-course review, and design exhibit. 

The Competition Leadership Group will conduct an individual review of each design submittal and provide an advisory report of its findings to the Jury. The Jury will analyze each design and determine whether the integrity of the design concept embodied in the Stage I entry has been maintained in the Stage II design submittal and how it addresses the mission, vision, and design goals for the Memorial. The winning design will be announced publicly in March 2022.

View the finalists' submissions here. All information on the design competition, including the design manual, Jury process, regulations, and schedule, can be found at coldwarveteransmemorial.org.

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Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center

The PAMPC was created out of a need for additional space to house some of the circulating book collection and the archival collections of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and will be completed in phases over an estimated ten years.

The first phase of the project will include the Pritzker Military Archives Center to house the collections and provide workspace for the continued curation for future exhibits; Commercial Archives based on demand where private collectors, public institutions, and others may store their archives; a facility specializing in firearms education and training; a Community Green Space expertly landscaped with walking and biking paths; and the Cold War Veterans Memorial.

About the Cold War Veterans Memorial

In line with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission, the Cold War Veterans Memorial aims to increase the public understanding of military history. It will be a lasting tribute to the courage and tenacity found in the U.S. Armed Forces and civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served during the Cold War era, September 2, 1945, to December 26, 1991. The Memorial will be a publicly accessible display where citizens can honor, reflect, and learn about the bravery and sacrifice displayed to further our country's freedom. To learn more, visit www.coldwarveteransmemorial.org.

About Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center

Located in Somers, Wisconsin, The Pritzker Archives & Memorial Park Center supports the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's mission of preserving the past, present, and future of the citizen soldier. This state-of-the-art archive center is a space to restore, preserve, and provide storage for collections that include books, artifacts, and other historical materials. Other components of the project include a 9,687 square-foot Gallery that will display exhibits drawing from the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, Commercial Archives, a facility specializing in firearms education and training, Cold War Veterans Memorial, and community green space. To learn more, visit www.pritzkerarchivespark.com.   

About the Pritzker Military Museum & Library

The Pritzker Military Museum & Library aims to increase the public's understanding of military history, military affairs and national security by providing a forum for the study and exploration of our military - past, present, and future - with a specific focus on their stories, sacrifices, and values. With national and global reach, these spaces and events aim to share the stories of those who served and their contributions as citizen soldiers, helping citizens everywhere appreciate the relationship between the armed forces and the civilians whose freedoms they protect. A non-governmental, non-partisan organization, the Museum & Library features diverse collections, scholarly initiatives, and public programs from its flagship center in downtown Chicago to its world-class research center and park currently under construction in Somers, Wisconsin.

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