The Mound of Tomochichi

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perspective view | central axis approach facing column of trajan

Young Architects Forum of Atlanta
48 Hrs Design Competition: first place

   To the Muscogee people of Georgia, memorialization was an important and sacred part of their culture. The earliest forms of this memorialization were through earth mounds used to commemorate their leaders, religious figures, and celestial icons. And while powerful and well situated within Frederick Law Olmsted's axial and symmetrical design, Chief Tomochichi’s Column of Trajan is somewhat detached from the Native American idea of monument.
   For this project, a designed intervention is being used to blend the two culture’s concepts of memorialization. The introduction of a contemporary earth mound sculpts and frames the green space of the monument, while still maintaining the integrity of Olmsted's design.
   Early earth mounds were created for users to escape their surroundings and enter a space filled with tranquility, peace, and reflection. While with this earth mound, users are able to walk through the mound, focusing their attention on the monument. In turn, this dynamic allows them to escape their surroundings and enter a space of tranquility, peace, and reflection.
   Chief Tomochichi is known for being a prominent mediator between the Native Americans and the English settlers. His life is immortalized because of his work negotiating between these two differing cultures. Therefore, he deserves a memorial that explores that same type of varying but communicative relationship.