Keep the PULSE

The nightclub remains.

Inside is silence.

Together, we engage with this silence to realize our strength.

It is through collectively facing this silence that the energy of PULSE emerges.

The memorial is cast around the perimeter of this silence, delicately poised on the threshold that links what is outside to what happened within. The memorial’s form shelters visitors in an intimate embrace, revealing only a single wall of the nightclub. The memorial marks the event, identifies the individuals who lost their lives and acknowledge the survivors. It recognizes how the event has impacted the lives of families, first responders, doctors, nurses, and law enforcement and mental health professionals. Each face of the memorial is divided into seven sections, the number of colors in a rainbow. These 7 x 7 intersections intertwine as a shared space, honoring and protecting the 49 angels. On the west, the angels’ names are inscribed in colorful vertical bands, looking towards a tranquil garden. Facing east, the date of the shooting declares: We will never forget. The north and south recall a space of community and celebration. The Memorial facilitates healing, conveys a sense of hope in the presence of darkness, and provides a sanctuary for remembrance.

The museum resonates with the energy of the nightclub. Its curves embrace public spaces, tilting upwards to provide shade. At its heart is a matrix of flexible chambers that display PULSE artifacts and mementos. Within these folds of history and memory is a mixture of sound emerging from recording studios, conversations and community spaces. Its purpose is to engage and educate the public by telling a powerful narrative that leads visitors on a journey from hatred to love, from darkness to light, and from violence to empathy. This story intersects with the search for community, civil rights and social justice for the LGBTQ community, the delineation of “safe spaces” for historically marginalized communities, the threat of hate speech and hate crimes, the rise of domestic and international terrorism, and should offer a blueprint for combatting intolerance, extremism, and violence.

The new PULSE District is identified as a street-friendly, sustainable, pedestrian environment. It links the greener districts to the east and the west with an elastic landscape filled with colors of the rainbow, building a welcoming new gateway for the SoDo District.

These 49 angels lives were ended too soon. We will keep the PULSE.