The Syrian Refugee Memorial
Commemorate & Experience & Meditation Design
Individual Work
08.2016-09.2016

This design is to in memory of the Syrian refugees who suffered from Syria’s civil war and fled away from their hometown, on the arduous way of escape, the refugees do not know what the future will be, hundreds of thousand refugees were died in the smuggling process. Only when the photo of the three-year old Syrian refugee died in the smuggling process put on the Internet, did the world feel astonished. Only in 2015, there were almost 4000 refugees died in the smuggling process. They have no alternative that they have to flee away from their hometown. The site selection of this design locates at port of Latakia, Syria, where the most of refugees depart from. The major structure of the building floating on the Mediterranean which at a distance from the port. The visitors could take boat to the memorial, by visiting the memorial, the visitors could tangible experience the true feeling of the refugees. The building regards the concrete column as the main body, and surrounded by water curtain, which symbolized the feeling of isolation when shipwreck. The underwater portion showing the Maheno Wreck etc. I hope to arouse the attention of people to life and peace by this.

The Syrian conflict has torn the country apart, leaving thousands death and driving millions to fee their homes. Many seek refugee in neighboring countries but others pay trackers to take them to Europe – risking death, capture and deportation. One of the first things you’ll notice in this map is that the largest population of Syrian refugees isn’t in Europe — it’s in the Middle East, in Syria’s neighboring countries, often in vast and underfunded UN-run refugee camps. That is an important part of why so many refugees are traveling to Europe: Many see little hope of returning home to Syria anytime soon, and see little future for themselves and their families in the camps in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Another story this map helps to tell is the number of routes into the European Union, and particularly toward the more northern EU states that are often more likely to accept refugees. Syrian refugees in Turkey or Lebanon frequently go across the eastern Mediterranean to Greece from Turkey, but some also travel to Egypt and take the trans-Mediterranean route there. Some go across land entirely, crossing from Turkey into Bulgaria. These routes are dangerous. Refugees crossing the Mediterranean often travel in poorly constructed dinghies that make even the short trip from Turkey to Greece dangerous. Many people have died so far trying to cross the Mediterranean.

The site is 8050 meters away from the Latakia Port, hence people can visit the memorial only
by boat. It help people to experience how lonely and helpless it is while floating on the sea, and waiting for the boat after visiting seems like looking forward for the hope. In addition, the building stands on the sea have little influence on the city. People can overlook it from a far distance. Narrow corridor leading to the maze. Waterfall fall from the top of the wall, and water surround the floor, walking through maze just like traveling through the Mediterranean. All those elements are aim to help the visitors imagine and experience what have happened to the refugees during the trip. Only when people felt these elements can they
understand how terrible the experience is. The visiting stream is not only horizontal, but also vertical. The elevator in the larger glass columns make it possible for people to see the exhibit in the bottom of the sea, the intercessor’s exhibit, as well as the overlook view on the top of the column. People’s feeling can be different based on the different level of the memorial.