SANDY HOOK PERMANENT MEMORIAL

Newtown, Connecticut
Design Competition

COCOON: When visitors arrive at the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial site, they enter into a plaza which is protected, both visually and physically, from the adjacent parking lot by white, polished concrete walls. This plaza provides a place for visitors to quiet their minds and voices, decompress, and focus.

Looking ahead, one can see a linear pathway leading to a cocoon-like structure at the heart of the memorial. The cocoon is surrounded by manicured and meditative gardens, punctuated only by two weeping willow trees. It is protected by a reflecting pool which cascades down to the lower elevation of the site beyond.

As one travels along the linear pathway, it descends and also narrows. At the end of the pathway, visitors pass through an arched tunnel. It is just beyond this darker, enclosed space that one emerges into the expansiveness of the Cocoon; literally passing from darkness into light.

The Cocoon is constructed of a concrete shell and clad in rough hewn granite segments. This structure envelops and surrounds its visitors in order to provide a sense of comfort, peace and safety. The Cocoon itself is recessed into the ground, in order to minimize the appearance of the mass from the public side, yet still providing a grand, voluminous and spiritual space inside.

As visitors enter the Cocoon, they are immediately drawn to the polished, white concrete vessel at the centroid of the space, located on axis with the entry tunnel. This vessel holds the "sacred soil" and is protected by a clear, tempered glass cover. Visitors are able to view the sacred soil without disturbing it.

Polished granite flooring reflects the natural light and provides a smooth, soft contrast to the roughness of the surrounding walls. Hugging the interior of the Cocoon are white, polished concrete benches, which provide a place for rest and quiet reflection.

Moving towards the far end of the memorial, the structure of the Cocoon opens up, allowing natural light to pour into the space. This opening frames a view to the aerated ponds, specimen trees, hiking trails and sky beyond. Visitors are able to connect with the beauty and rawness of the natural environment, while still feeling safe and protected within the Cocoon.

The final destination within the Cocoon is a crescent shaped reflecting pool. Infinity edges allow the water to cascade down along the perimeter. In order to honor the victims, their names have been placed along the front edge of the reflecting pool. Each name is composed of stainless steel letters, mounted to the structure with stand-off hardware. This design allows the water from the reflecting pool to gently flow down behind the names.

Standing at the edge of the reflecting pool, reading the names, visitors can see their own reflection within the surface of the pool. The sound of flowing water comforts the soul and masks any outside acoustic distractions. Sunlight bounces off the surface of the pool, creating an ever-changing show of light and shadow on the underside of the Cocoon above.

As visitors return to where they began, they are able to see the words written along the back wall of the Cocoon. These words compose a poem or quote, uplifting and hopeful, meant to comfort and inspire those who read them.

Protective, yet welcoming. Grounded, yet uplifting. Reverent, yet joyous. Striking, yet unassuming. Enclosed, yet expansive. The design of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial embodies and reflects these contrasts. It strives to create a place for reflection and remembrance, in order to provide peace, comfort and serenity to all who visit.

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