Uruguayan architect Gómez Platero has designed the world’s first large-scale memorial to the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The "World Memorial to the Pandemic" is a circular structure 40m in diameter, accessible only by a long pedestrian walkway, and intended to be installed at a coastal location.
According to the architect, the memorial bridges the gap between the urban and natural worlds by taking visitors away from the sounds and sights of urban life and allowing them to view the ocean from a 10m-diameter "void" at the centre of the circle.
MartÃn Gómez Platero said: "Architecture is a powerful tool to transform the world. It is, above all, a collective and historical reality, made of small fragments that survive over time and become culture. It is a way to show who we are on this planet. Monuments, too, mark our shared cultural and emotional milestones.
"By creating a memorial capable of activating senses and memories in this way, we can remind our visitors – as the pandemic has – that we as human beings are subordinate to nature and not the other way around."
The structure will be clad in corten steel, which will weather over time.
Gómez Platero says it is in talks with the Uruguayan government to decide where the project will be based.
It is estimated that if the project is given the go-ahead, construction would take about six months.
Images courtesy of Gómez Platero
