Seeing Us
2024
Buffalo, NY
Lives were lost and impacted during the racially motivated mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets supermarket in Buffalo’s East Side neighborhood on May 14, 2022. The East Side of Buffalo has suffered from decades of neglect and racist policies. Segregation and inequalities have been embedded in buildings, streets, and the city. The nation is suffering from the ‘epidemic of hate’. ‘Seeing Us’ is the proposal to commemorate the lives lost and lives impacted as a result of the racially motivated attack. The architecture provides a site for healing and hope to the community.
Aaron Salter, Andre Mackneil, Celestine Chaney, Geraldine Talley, Katherine Massey, Ruth Whitfield, Margus D. Morrison, Roberta A. Drury, Pearl Young, Heyward Patterson: The Victims And Survivors of 5/14 East Buffalo Shooting.
Zaire Goodman, Jennifer Warrington, Christopher Braden; survivors.
We believe in the inherent power of ‘design’
Its unique capability to elevate awareness, mobilize communities, stimulate the intellect, and ultimately incite meaningful action. The intricate interplay between Memory and Architecture is a profound tool for our project.
The project encompasses two indispensable components crucial to the act of memorialization:
The Memorial and Support Building with a Memorial Walk
Both elements serve unique yet interlinked functions, each with specific requirements tailored to its purpose.
The memorial provides 10 pillars representing victims, a dedicated survivor pillar, and walking spaces among pillars surrounded by seating. Names and stories are inscribed on dark granite.
The sunlight adds a continuously changing effect through reflections, shades, and shadows. The long shadows of the pillars around sunset add meaning, the presence of their name and remembrance. This spatial experience extends an invitation for visitors to pass through—an act of togetherness and active participation in the commemoration.
The support building operates as a central hub for education, exhibitions, community activities, and events.
Managed and run by community members, sponsors, and the city, the architecture of this building prioritizes sustainability, flexibility, and adaptability across all facets of its operation and maintenance.
