30 Jun 2017

Open Call - Architecture competition: Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism in Brussels

The Platform of European Memory and Conscience invites Expressions of Interest to participate in a competition for architects and artists from around the world under the high patronage of the European Parliament.

In 2008-2009, the European Parliament established 23 August, the date of the signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact of 1939, as the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarianism. The European Union Member States commemorate the day annually with an EU-wide event.

In its resolution On European Conscience and Totalitarianism of 2 April 2009, the European Parliament called for the creation of a pan-European memorial for the victims of all totalitarian regimes.

No memorial has yet been created to the countless millions of victims of Fascism, National Socialism and Communism in Europe. Especially today, in view of the rising extremism and nationalism in Europe, the tragic human toll of the struggle for freedom and democracy needs to be commemorated in a dignified way in the center of the EU.

The new memorial should embody the main reason for the existence of today's peaceful democratic European Union - the lessons learned from the totalitarian past and the determination to never allow history to repeat itself. The new memorial should visualize this humanitarian message, bringing the true meaning of the European Union project tangibly close to the citizens of the world. At the same time, the opportunity offers itself to create a unique work of art with a high value for the city of Brussels.

The Site

The site for the proposed memorial is the Place Jean Rey, excellently located in the heart of the European district, a large open space within sight of the newly opened House of European History, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU.

The Competition

THE MEMORIAL DESIGN
• must be inclusive of the victims of National Socialism, Fascism and Communism
• must be inclusive of men, women and children
• must not interfere with the natural flow and movement of people across
the square
• should draw people in physically, enable a physical experience for the visitors
• should build on a symbiosis of nature and art, townscape and landscape
• may make use of water

TIMELINE
• 26 April 2017 - Announcement of the competition in the European Parliament,
Brussels
• 15 June 2017 - Deadline for Expressions of Interest
New: Deadline extended to 15 July 2017
• 30 June 2017 - Competition guidelines sent out to contestants
• 15 December 2017 - Deadline for submission of competition entries
• 15 February 2018 - Announcement of the winner
• April 2018 - Exhibition of 10 top-ranking entries in the European Parliament,
Brussels
• 23 August 2018 - tentative inauguration of memorial in Brussels on the occasion
of the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarianism

The Prize

The winner will receive an award of 5,000 EUR, the second and third runners-up will receive an award of 2,000 EUR and 1,000 EUR, respectively.

The 10 top-ranking entries will be displayed in an exhibition in the European Parliament, Brussels

Please send your Expression of Interest containing a brief introduction of yourself and
the philosophy of your work, your professional experience and examples of successful
realisations by e-mail to competition@memoryandconscience.eu by the extended deadline
15 July 2017 (max. size of attachments is 10 MB).

Please see the competition website memorialbrussels.eu


Contact:
Alžběta Majerová
intern
Platform of European Memory and Conscience
Londýnská 43
120 00 Praha 2
Czech Republic
tel.: +420-222 561 053
director@memoryandconscience.eu
www.memoryandconscience.eu