Any memorial to the AIDS epidemic in New York City must be simultaneously a place to reflect back on the individuals lost to the crisis as well as a site of optimism and hope for those fighting against the disease. The triangular plot across from St. Vincent’s hospital, the physical center of the AIDS crisis in New York, is an ideal site to honor the 100,000 who have died in the city, to give visibility to a crisis that is too often stigmatized and silenced, and to celebrate the strength and vibrancy of the surrounding neighborhood and greater NYC AIDS community.
The Optic Forest is a gathering of thousands of optical fibers to create an interactive and iconographic memorial that represents the individual stories and collective resiliency of the AIDS community. The 3” diameter luminescent fibers extend upwards from the street level to mark the significance of the site within the city. The flexible and interactive fibers animate the park by mirroring the sway of the birch trees towards the perimeter of the site.
As the fibers gather in greater density, they define the memorial and its procession. This singular path draws visitors from a natural park landscape into a grove of optics, which defines and protects the memorial space below. The optic fibers continue through the ground plane, directing light to concrete pedestals holding mementos of loved ones. The memorial is a living constellation of stories, recorded by an interactive digital archive.
The ground surface, acting as both programmed park and threshold between remembrance and community, is lifted up at the corner of 7th Avenue and Greenwich Village to create a sloped, grassy corner that faces St. Vincent’s to the North and opens up towards downtown to the South. Just as the activists brought awareness to the crisis, this lift of the ground plane not only brings much-needed daylight into the education and exhibition spaces below the park, but physically opens and unveils the ongoing work of the AIDS community to the greater public.
