Thailand Moves on Huge Tsunami Memorial Despite Qualms
Just as with the 9/11 memorial, the way to a suitable memorial is fraught with controversy.
The New York Times reports on the latest attempts to move forward with rebuilding at Ground Zero, with Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg asking developer Frank Sciame to assemble a committee to get the budget for a memorial back under $500 million (down from the latest $1 billion estimate of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation (EIN 38-3678458 Form 990).
Meanwhile in Thailand, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop announced the winners (BBC report) of a design competition for a tsunami memorial to be built in Khao Lak national park in Phang Nga province, one of the worst hit areas in Thailand.
The Spanish design firm of Ana Somoza & Juana Canet, calling themselves Disc-O Architecture, and the Thai firm Naga Concepts had the winning design, titled Mountains of Remembrance. All of the finalists are on view here, with somewhat small digital versions of the presentation panels.
Local newspapers in Thailand give voice to various environmental concerns, with this extensive opinion piece in The Nation questioning the need for a large memorial inside an environmentally sensitive area like a national park. The questions involve handling the large number of visitors that can be expected to visit the memorial. And then there is the cost. The competition cost Bt50 million (about $1 million) and the construction is currently estimated at Bt500 million ($10 million). The government is considering asking for outside contributions.
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