Tall Swing Symphony:
a proposal for a memorial site in Norway for the victims of the tsunami disaster December 26, 2004

Attention:
Utsmykkingsfondet for offentlige bygg
Kristian Augusts gate 23, N-0164, Oslo, Norway

Have you ever ridden on a very tall swing? Unlike the feeling of being leashed by a short swing, length creates a long, smooth, peaceful arc, and creates the potential for a dramatic ride. When you are swinging, you realize you have become isolated from other people on the earth, enclosed by an encircling sound which is the wind and air around you, and presented with a constantly changing world view.

This moment of contemplation happens when less effort is needed to propel the swing, and follows the exhilaration of the physical effort used to get the swing moving and climbing. At this point, even with no effort, the swing motion would only slowly diminish. When you have decided no longer to swing you must wait for the momentum to diminish. You are not in control of the forces of nature.

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The swings, and any riders on them, will also provide an experience for anyone visiting the memorial including those who are not swinging. I am proposing an arc or ring of swings and an area where visitors can sit and watch the swings. From this calm area, you will see riders flow toward you and then away from you. I plan to design and place the swings so they approximate the height and visual impact of a tsunami wave.

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If the view to the sea is unobstructed, riding on a swing you will see yourself swinging toward the water, and then away from it. The sea will be similarly in view for a person on a wood-surrounded swing, but it will be more of a surprise when you reach the height necessary on the swing to see it.

The road to the memorial is for bikes or pedestrians, and as one walks or rides toward the swings, you will see something unusual, something with an unusual height on the horizon. You will not be able to clearly understand what is on the horizon. The memorial site will be isolated at its base by trees, brush or a constructed berm. Approaching, a visitor will become more and more aware of the unusual thing, but in order to understand and experience the place, the visitor will need to enter through a tunnel in the berm or walk through the woods on an undulating path. This is a passage to a spiritual experience of the memorial that is meant to be somewhat disorienting and preparation for the contemplative experience.

The height and variation of the swings will be determined on the site to try to approximate the tsunami experience: the difficulty of seeing what lies on the horizon, the suddenness of the energy change, and the confusion caused by the change of a known place.

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The project: Tall Swing Symphony: will be experiential, contemplative, and accessible. My proposal will integrate a natural recreation area with a place and opportunity for peaceful contemplation, contrasted by the drama of the tall swings and the tsunami event, enhanced by your site which connects visitors with the sea.