(Power, violence, and the Chicago Architecture Biennial …)
(Reviewing the 2019 Chicago Architecture …archdaily.com)
(https://massdesigngroup.org/work/design/gun-violence-memorial-project)
The Gun Violence Memorial Project – MASS Design Group
(https://massdesigngroup.org/work/design/gun-violence-memorial-project)
The Gun Violence Memorial Project is a set of four, small, simply shaped, windowless, open-entry structures constructed of glass bricks that contain items and stories of those who have passed from gun violence. I got a chance to visit this memorial while in Chicago this last fall, and the structures really stood out in juxtaposition to the Chicago Cultural Center. Within the structures, there are sound recordings of family members talking about their loved one’s passing, as well as video projections onto the glass. These clips and sounds create an otherworldly experience, especially in combination with the glass and objects surrounding you in each structure.The structures themselves are visually compelling, and as I spent some time around them, would draw people in quite easily due to the ghostly construction.
The creation of this structure both embodies a social cause, and is effective in its architectural form. Each glass house is created out of 700 glass bricks, representing the average number of lives lost to gun violence in America each week. The houses are meant to pay respect to those who have lost their lives to gun violence, and draw attention to gun violence in a striking, visual manner. I believe that this is effectively done through many aspects of the buildings. Their small scale makes being in each house feel extremely personal, and even through you can see to the outside of the house through the glass bricks , the bricks thickness and the items within them create a sense of privacy, and space for reflection.
Ife's 212 Understanding Architecture Section 