Vowing to create a “sanctuary of hope and healing,” the onePULSE Foundation announced Wednesday a design for the Pulse memorial that includes a tranquil reflecting pool and 49 trees encircling the remains of the club and a towering museum a half-mile away that “rises like a budding flower.”
The museum’s rooftop promenade will offer views of the memorial — a tribute to the 49 killed and 68 wounded in the June 12, 2016, mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub — and what’s being called the “Pulse District” south of downtown Orlando.
“Together, we have an opportunity to reclaim a place from terror and darkness and create a new reality, one that brings people together in celebration of joy and love,” said Thomas Coldefy, principal of Coldefy & Associes, the French urban architectural firm that teamed with Orlando-based HHCP Architects and a group of planners, designers and artists for the winning concept.
HHCP has designed projects in 36 countries, including the Zhengzhou Zoo Resort in China, a mixed-use development in Abu Dhabi, and the Qatar Embassy ambassador’s residence and guest house in Morocco.
“Rarely does a design team have the opportunity to impact not only the local community but also the world community,” said the firm’s president, Michael Chatham.
The design competition launched in March and drew 68 submissions from 19 countries, which were then narrowed to six by a selection committee. The finalists were showcased online and at the Orange County Regional History Center earlier this month for public comment, but the ultimate winner was chosen by a jury of 14 community leaders, survivors and architectural experts — including Dean Sarah Whiting of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Wednesday’s announcement was made in an often-poignant ceremony at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in a room lit by rainbow hues to acknowledge the gay patronage of Pulse and filled to capacity with more than 300 supporters, survivors, family members, community leaders and media.
For Mayra Alvear, whose daughter, Amanda Alvear, was killed at Pulse, it was a “life-altering” moment to see the vision of the tragedy’s legacy take shape.
“You come to realize that the journey you never expected or would have chosen to be your life actually has a purpose,” she said. “Our children paid the ultimate [price]. Now, their death will not be in vain.”
The $45 million project has sometimes faced criticism from those who felt the tragedy’s legacy was being turned into a tourism attraction.
A group calling itself Community Coalition Against A Pulse Museum pleaded in a letter to elected officials two weeks ago to oppose any plans that include an admission charge or the sale of merchandise, as the museum is expected to do. The group says it represents 115 people who survived or lost loved ones in 13 of the nation’s mass shootings, including 34 from Pulse.
But Orange County School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs — who served as the county’s mayor when it awarded $10 million in tourism tax revenue to the project last fall — said the memorial and museum could help save lives by encouraging families of LGBTQ youth to see the consequences of hate and intolerance.
“Some people will come just because they’re curious,” she acknowledged. “That may be really offensive [at first]. But that’s where we have the greatest opportunity to change the world … and create a world where there [is] no discrimination, certainly not because of who you love.”
Her remarks drew a standing ovation.
Neema Bahrami, a Pulse survivor, said he felt “beyond blessed” to see the foundation’s dedication to the project.
“When I … saw the six [finalists’] designs, it literally took my breath away,” he said. “My hope is that one day we as a community understand the importance of what onePULSE Foundation has done to keep our 49 angels’, survivors’ and first responders’ stories alive.”
For now, the selected design includes the remains of the club encapsulated within tall, granite-like walls separated by a walkway that forms part of the “Survivors Walk” leading from the former club site on South Orange Avenue to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the wounded were carried the night of the shooting. Eventually, it will extend north to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, where a community vigil was held two nights after the attack. The museum will be at 438 West Kaley St., in a warehouse district near Interstate 4. That land was recently purchased by the nonprofit foundation for $3.5 million.
But foundation Board chairman Earl Crittenden Jr. cautioned that the winning design is only a starting point for the ultimate structures. It is also not yet clear how much the design team members will be paid.
The team will next focus on creating a master plan for the project, expected to open in 2022.
“I’ve always said Orlando would not be defined by an act of hate, but rather by the way our community came together,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who served on the design selection jury. “This … will ensure that Orlando’s incredible legacy of love, compassion and unity is shared with the world.”
