Pre’s Rock Memorial

Сontest project (honorable mention) I Eugene, U.S.A. I 2020 Team: Dmytro Shmatenko, Alina Nemolovska

On May 30.1975 Olympian Steve Prefontaine crashed his MG convertible into a rock outcropping and could not be freed in time to save his life. The location of the crash, known as Pre’s Rock, has been a site of pilgrimage since his death. Many visitors mark their visit to Pre’s Rock by leaving personal items. The City of Eugene collects the personal letters, medals, uniforms, bib numbers and other items regularly. The Rock, itself can be hard to find in Eugene’s Laurel Hill neighborhood but the site’s hilltop location gives it a commanding view of Willammette Valley north of Eugene, Oregon. The primary task was to make this place more remarkable, while balancing the site’s dueling public and residential scales.

1. The main aim of the planning was to separate the pedestrian paths from the road. The stairs allow a person to make a circular detour around the memorial, thereby creating a walking area.

2. The triangular platform is located in a place free of large trees near Pre's Rock. Extending the platform beyond the tree crowns makes it visible from the surrounding area and, in turn, opens up a panoramic view from the platform.

3. The wide entrance to the platform makes it visible and accessible. At the same time, the platform's narrwoing endpoint becomes a place of solitude. The asymmetry of the platform forms a pleasant connection with Pre’s Rock, while the platform distances itself from the Rock without overhanging it.

Additionally, an inflatable sphere with a mirrored gold surface can mark Pre's Rock during major athletic events, becoming a symbolic embodiment of the guiding star.

The Wall of Remembrance is a place where people can express their feelings. The relief and imperfection of the surface make manipulations easy, without fear of messing up : attach objects, create reliefs, write, engrave, make mosaics. With time, some artifacts will fade into the background or will be removed, and new layers will appear. Pre's Rock is the reflection of today's feelings, while the Wall of Remembrance - their archive.

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