by Michelle Goldchain

On Thursday, the National Park Service (NPS), National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), and Van Alen Institute announced the winner of the five-month-long Memorials for the Future contest. Drum roll please? The winners are Bay Area-based landscape architects Erik Jensen and Rebecca Sunter with their concept, Climate Chronograph.

The purpose of the competition was to reimagine what a Washington, D.C. memorial can look like. In a press release, the winning concept was described as “forward-looking” due to its ability to make climate change a “tangible, personal experience.” The concept looks through a kayaker’s perspective that is able to view the ocean’s rising sea levels.

In a statement, Van Alen Institute Executive Director David van der Leer said, “The finalist concepts allow us to think outside the often-fixed nature of memorial design, looking beyond solemn marble statues of uniformed men on horseback, and envisioning emotionally resonant memorials open to varied interpretations.”