The project is located in Sedhiou, south of Senegal. The goal of design is to magnify the influence of the memorial, so the building itself is commemorative.

When overlooking the memorial, the structural sequence of the colonnade on the east side of the site leads the visitors' horizons to the distance. Through the colonnade, people can vaguely see the Casamance River. With the guidance of the wall, the design gradually introduces the visitors into the indoor exhibition space from the outdoor courtyard, and the visitors' vision is also narrowed from open to narrow. Thereby shielding out the turbulent external surroundings emphasizes the solemn spirit of the place.

Light pillar/starry sky
In contemplation, the design emphasizes that light at different moments shows different states in the building. The dry season in Sedhiou area is from November to May and rainy season from June to October. When the rainy season comes, rainwater gathers from the roof and enters the water circulation system of the building, forming a water pillar of light in the sunshine during sunny days. This fleeting and ephemeral “structure” shows the fragility of life.

Contemplation's laterite earth sidewalls are designed with different angles of light holes. The light shines through these holes of the wall into the room, forming light spots like starry sky on the ground. The visual effect of light and dark interlacing symbolizes the living and the dead. People here look back at history and meditate the conflict.

When visitors walk out of the memorial, the scenery of the Casamance River suddenly appears and is no longer obscured by the colonnade. Compared with the sights that which is seen when they first entered the site, it seems as if everything is as before and it does not look like it used to be.

Area: 500 m2

Year: 2019

Lead Architects: Zhiqian Chen, Yi (Bryan) Wang

Client: Balouo Salo Non Profit Organization