The Veracruz-Port Memorial is most impressive in a storm when one can empathize with emigrants parting from their loved-ones before undertaking their long journey. The work commemorates 100 years of Jewish emigration to Mexico.
Archetonic Architects were awarded the 2014 Marble Architectural Award in the category Urban Panning.
„Vidas Paralelas“ (Parallel Lives) is the title of the wall directly along the waterline. Jacobo Micha Mizrahi was its designer: on the one side, the wall bears 100 small squares all similar in appearance but with a variety of details. Each symbolizes one of the 100 years of emigration. One could also interpret the stones as a symbol for the individual immigrants.
On the other side of the wall, the squares morph to 400 hyperrectangles jutting far into space but in a variety of lengths. Their surfaces are smoothed or polished symbolizing the integration in a new home country and the families they established.
A variety of stone types originating from Mexico and India were implemented.
The prize for External Cladding was awarded to Joan Soranno of HGA Architects and Engineers for the Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum in Minneapolis, USA. Carrara Marble and US-American Cold Spring Granite were implemented.
In the category Interiors, Studio Aston Pereira and Associates took the prize for their 135 Main Street Lobby in San Francisco.
Special Mention went to Michael Lehrer of Lehrer Architects for the Villa in Santa Monica, USA.
The Marble Architectural Awards are distributed biannually by Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara (IMM) for outstanding implementation of natural stone in changing regions. This time around, projects from Canada, the USA and Mexico were designated recipients.
The 26th awards ceremony will take place at the Marmotec Trade Fair in Carrara (21st to 24th May).
(21.05.2014, USA: 05.21.2014)
