The project is sited in New York’s Battery Park.  It exists as both a monument and a museum commemorating the lives of the millions of immigrants who have journeyed to the United States in the past fifty years.  As there is an inherent duality to the immigrant experience, the architectural expression of the building manifests this concept through the distinct contrast of the materials that make up its enclosure as well as the narrative itinerary through its spaces.  Upon entry at the base of the building visitors are contained on three sides by the concrete wall that wraps the public gathering space and forms the building's structural foundation.  As one ascends, the concrete enclosure gives way bit by bit to the transparent glass until reaching the upper levels where views across the river and back around to the city are unlimited.