national pulse memorial & museum to be designed by coldefy & associés with RDAI

onePULSE foundation — the not-for-profit established to honor and preserve the legacy of those killed and affected by the june 12, 2016 pulse nightclub tragedy — has announced that coldefy & associés with RDAI has been selected to design the national pulse memorial & museum. the scheme, which was first unveiled earlier this year, was selected ahead of proposed designs from diller scofidio + renfro, MVRDV, and studio libeskind. the winning team’s concept design serves as a starting point for discussion and a basis for the project but is not the final design. over the next year, the team will work to further refine the proposed scheme in accordance with community feedback.

all images and video coldefy & associés with RDAI/onePULSE foundation

led by coldefy & Associés with RDAI, the winning team also includes orlando-based HHCP architects, xavier veilhan, dUCKS scéno, agence TER, and prof. laila farah. the design concept features a reflecting pool encircling the pulse building, which will be integrated into the memorial design. in memory of the 49 victims, a palette of 49 colors lines the basin and radiates towards a peaceful garden planted with 49 trees. the design also envisions a spiraling, open-air museum and educational center with vertical gardens, public plazas, and a rooftop promenade.

the jury selected the design following a public viewing and comment period in early october, 2019. informed by over 2,300 comments from victim’s families, survivors, first responders and the public, the jury felt the design best reflected the interests expressed by the community, demonstrated design excellence, inventiveness, creativity and alignment with onePULSE’s core values.

‘we are very honored that our team has been selected by the onePULSE Foundation to continue this journey together,’ says thomas coldefy, principal of coldefy & associés. ‘this is a deeply meaningful project that reminds us how much architecture and landscape can influence our behavior and have an impact on our community; it’s a project that already transcends our entire team in a beautiful, collective adventure. 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.’

complementing the national pulse memorial, a museum and educational center will pay tribute to all those affected by the pulse tragedy and serve as an important place for dialogue. onePULSE foundation plans to build the national pulse memorial on the site of the pulse nightclub, with the museum and education center located at 438 west kaley street — approximately one-third of a mile from pulse. the memorial and museum are projected to open in 2022. the memorial will be free and open to the public year-round. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

project info:

name: national pulse memorial & museum
location: orlando, florida
design: coldefy & Associés with RDAI, and HHCP architects, xavier veilhan, dUCKS scéno, agence TER, and prof. laila farah
organization: onePULSE foundation