2. February 2014

US EMBASSY – MEMORIAL
Kathmandu, Nepal
in conversation with Ar. Sarosh Pradhan
The US Embassy invited selected design firms to a design competition - to build a Memorial design
within their Embassy premises, to be built in memory and honour of people who had served the
embassy, and as a space for reflection - on Memorial day in the month of May each year.
Veneeta: What is the conceptual idea and process that gave rise and expression to
this particular sculpture/monument?
Sarosh: After being shown potential locations in the Embassy premises for the
memorial design, some reflection time was spent imagining design possibilities.
A reminiscence of my visit to a marble quarry several years back ignited thoughts
on the possibility of using rocks as a landscape element for the design. Nepal is a
country of mountains. I infused some poetry into the thought process which were
sublimated, scribbled and conceptualized further. Sketches of rocks in different sizes
were then placed together with gaps in-between - the metaphor of memory and the
concept for the Memorial was born. Memory can be felt and experiences as though
it were a big rock. When you come closer – there exist gaps and voids - just slices or
fragments of thoughts as in a memory. Some reflection, some poetry of thoughts
and sketches – that is what won us this unusual competition.
44 / SPACESNEPAL.COM