Ascension
Whilst suffering from a financial crisis and a fractured society, Lebanon was struck by a catastrophe that changed everything. On the 4th of August 2020, an atomic like explosion in the port of Beirut damaged the whole city; deaths, injured, homeless, destroyed buildings, damaged art. The loss of 202 individuals was the spark that welded the torn social fabric in Lebanon and made the people reunite again and demand a better future.
The 4th became a date that reminded the Lebanese of how strong they are, how much they can endure and what they truly want for their country.
Ascension is a memorial of the 4th of August with 4 main Pillars standing tall and rising from the centre of the explosion crater reminding everyone with ascended 202 souls who paid the ultimate price in order for the people of Lebanon to hope for a better future.
The four pillars stand in the middle of a circular platform that has an alter with the 202 names at its end. The surrounding ramp allows access to the elevated platform in the end overlooking the crater and Beirut port so people could see the damage and remember the fallen.
Visitors get to access the monument through a walkway in the water that reaches the platform, and then they get to choose to enter the memorial area or use the surrounding ramp to watch the crater. The monument area has the victims’ names engraved on a wall alter; to access the shrine the user walks through the four pillars sensing the monumentality and greatness to remember the huge blast. After finishing their time at the alter they could walk back through the circular path with a water feature next to it.
