Kevin O'Brien | Architect
presentation board 2 | view from promenade | presentation board 2 |
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la danza motion study | observation platform closeup | presentation board 3 |
Monument to the Puerto Rican Diaspora
Puerto Rico, USA
This project is a competition entry to an international competition for a monument for Puerto Rico, located in a beachfront park near San Juan. The competition brief desired a suitable iconic structure ‘like the Eiffel Tower’ to serve as a fitting symbol for the island. Conceptually, the design pays tribute to the diaspora, or dispersion, of Puerto Rican culture over centuries of rule by foreign governments. The project is conceived as two helical titanium steel truss frames curved around each other that join together at the observation platform. The exterior of the trusses are sheathed in stainless steel panels, finished a weathered matte grey at the exterior and highly polished on the interior to provide multiple reflected views for the observer as they experience the structure. Two paths on opposite sides of the monument wind their way through the structure, offering ever changing views as they move upwards. Dual inclined elevators also provide access. From the tear-shaped observation deck, visitors can watch the coming and going of ships and airplanes as they leave Puerto Rico.