National Holocaust Monument - Six finalists invited to develop design concepts

GATINEAU, QC, Oct. 24, 2013 /CNW/ — The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the six teams that were chosen as finalists in a national design competition to create concepts for the future National Holocaust Monument, which will be built in the heart of Canada's capital, at the corner of Booth and Wellington streets, near the Canadian War Museum.

"The future National Holocaust Monument will honour the Canadian victims and survivors of the Holocaust," said Minister Glover. "Canada is an extraordinary, welcoming country, and we are all responsible for ensuring that the Holocaust continues to have a permanent place in our national consciousness and memory."

"Canada remembers the suffering of the millions of innocent victims of the Holocaust," said Minister Baird. "This monument will preserve their memory and also educate visitors of all faiths and traditions about the causes and risks of hate. I am proud that this memorial will stand at the heart of our country, right here in the nation's capital."

A Call for Qualifications was launched in May 2013, inviting teams of professional artists, architects, landscape architects and other design professionals to submit their credentials and examples of prior work at the first stage of a two-phase national design competition. Teams had to be led by a Canadian citizen. International candidates were, however, deemed eligible as team members.

Ministers Glover and Baird said they were pleased with the high calibre of the teams—which shows the importance of the project—and look forward to seeing the inspiring design ideas they will present.

The jury, made up of internationally renowned art and design professionals, a representative from the National Holocaust Monument Development Council and a Holocaust survivor, chose the following six teams as finalists:

• Hossein Amanat (architect and urban designer)
  Esther Shalev-Gerz (artist)
  Daniel Roehr (landscape architect)
  Robert Kleyn (architect, project manager)
  David Lieberman (architect)
  - Vancouver, British-Colombia

• Leslie M. Klein (Quadrangle Architects)
  Jeffrey Craft (SWA Group)
  Alan Schwartz (Terraplan)
  Yael Bartana (artist)
  Susan Philipsz (artist)
  Chen Tamir (artist)
  Dr. Debórah Dwork and Jeffrey Koerber (Holocaust scholars)
  - Toronto, Ontario

• Gail Lord (museum planner)
  Daniel Libeskind (architect)
  Edward Burtynsky (artist)
  Claude Cormier (landscape architect)
  Dr. Doris Berger (Holocaust scholar)
  - Toronto, Ontario

• Gilles Saucier (architect, Saucier+Perrotte)
  Marie-France Brière (artist)
  - Montréal, Quebec

• Irene Szylinger (art historian and curator)
  David Adjaye (architect)
  Ron Arad (artist/architect)
  - Toronto, Ontario

• Krzysztof Wodiczko (artist)
  Julian Bonder (architect)
  - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The teams will spend the next few months developing their designs, which will be presented to the National Holocaust Monument jury in the winter of 2014. Prior to the jury selection, a public exhibition of the models will take place, at which members of the public will have the opportunity to meet the artists and share their opinions on each design. Their comments will be compiled and shared with the jury.

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SOURCE: Canadian Heritage

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(This news release is also available online at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Newsroom.)