IMPROBABLE MONUMENT: MONUMENT OF LIFE

PROPOSAL, PRESENTATION, & KMZ FILE


PROPOSAL:

Introduction:

I wish to build a monument so large that it overlooks Earth; a monument that lets people see the world they live in by simply viewing it. The Monument of Life.

Background: 

I was inspired by Barthes’ discussion of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, and I find the monument to be beautifully brilliant. It is the heart of the city, and it overlooks the city; it is massive in its physical form and in its cultural meaning. But even better would be the same thing on a larger scale: the heart of our world and overlooking it. 

Some information about symbolism in trees:

Trees have strong symbolic meanings in many different cultures.

In Chinese culture, Bonsai trees represent peace, harmony, balance. They were originally believed to be created to resemble dragons, serpents, birds. Buddhist monks had great influence in Bonsai tree growing; the trees are often related to meditation and zen.

Birch trees, the national tree of Russia, are connected with new beginnings and cleansing of the past. "Birch" is derived from a German root meaning "white, bright, or shine."

The Oak tree has strong meanings in Roman culture; they connected the trees with the gods; it symbolizes strength and courage and was regarded by Socrates as the 'oracle tree.'

The Willow tree is strong in Native American culture. They symbolize magic, healing, inner vision, and dreams. Its bark has been relied on for medicinal purposes. They are also a symbol of death, mourning, and reflection in East Asian cultures.

Trees are also used for resources.

Food: Maple trees provide syrup, Cherry trees grow fruits, while Elder trees give off berries and flowers that produce wine and brandy.

Medicine: Willow trees give us the acid that we know as aspirin, while Eucalyptus trees house medicine to remedy colds, headaches, coughs, asthma, flu.

Some information about using recycled products in homes:

Incorporating recycled materials into architecture is sustainable and inexpensive. Cardboard, with the right water-proofing, can be a great resource in building homes. Tires also work to keep in heat in the winter. Coke bottles are just fun, and building a home out of an enormous collection of them is a fantastic way to use your old bottles.

Description:

My plan is to design a (approx.) 4,500 foot tall tree. The structure will be made out of recycled materials: colored (greens and browns) glass bottles for the trunk, rubber tires for the branches, and plastic bags for the leaves. It will be located in the San Francisco Bay near Angel Island. Satellite images of the Earth will be projected onto the trunk to give viewers the sense that they are overlooking their world while viewing this monument. Satellite images will also be projected on the water surrounding the tree. There will be thousands of LEDs on the trunk, allowing the monument and the images to stay lit at night. Viewers will have the option to ride a boat to the nearby platform/glass elevator-like structure that will rise out of the water and take them to the top, for a more interactive experience.

This monument will symbolize nature; it will commemorate our world. We live on this Earth, we walk on its ground, yet many of us do not take the time to stop and really see it. This monument will give people that opportunity; the chance to see Earth in a different way. Almost astronaut-like. It is on an enormous scale, which fits with its purpose but also makes it (currently) improbable.

San Francisco is a great place for art and sustainability, which is why I have chosen to place this monument in the bay.

Benefits:

This monument is an homage to trees and the Earth that grows them. It is a positive monument, promoting nature and recycling. It is important to take the time to “stop and smell the roses,” as the cliche likes to say, and this enormous tree is meant to open eyes, and noses, to the world that encompasses us. I took into account the commentary that was provided for me, and I came to realize that there should be a sort of device connected to the tree that uses the recyclable aspect and transfers it into energy that can be used elsewhere. This would be a fantastic beneficial improvement on my proposed monument.

Estimated Cost:

-1,000,000 BOTTLES: up to years to collect

-500,000 TIRES: up to years to collect

-3,000,000 PLASTIC BAGS: up to years to collect

SATELLITE

-10 projectors: $50,000

-10,000 LEDs: $200,000

PLATFORM

-30x30x50 ft. of glass: $3,000

-4,500 ft. tall underwater pillar: $500,000

-mechanics to raise 4,500 ft.: $500,000

TOTAL

Up to 5 years and about 1 million dollars

Timeline of Tasks:

POWERPOINT

KMZ FILE

PG&E JAM

BEFORE

AFTER

CAMERA OBSCURA

I visited Camera Obscura earlier this week.... the World's First Special Effect! The building is beautiful! It has an old look to it, and it overlooks the ocean. On the inside, it uses a mirror and lenses to create the giant camera that captures Seal Rock Area. Amazing!!

GAFFTA

Gray Area Foundation for the Arts

Wonderful art gallery! Located in the Tenderloin in San Francisco.



Here are some videos that I took of the artwork:

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

And some pictures...

These pictures are of the projects done concerning maps in San Francisco; crime density in San Francisco, and the Tenderloin specifically, and landscape.

MONUMENT OF LIFE

The ultimate Tree of Life.

I plan on designing a 5,000 foot tall tree located in the ocean. On an island. Possibly Angel Island near San Francisco.


But it will be taller than the world's tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai:

reference

     Trees have so many different meanings in different cultures. They're extremely symbolic.
-In Chinese culture, Bonsai trees represent peace, harmony, balance. They were originally believed to be created to resemble dragons, serpents, birds. Buddhist monks had great influence in Bonsai tree growing; the trees are often related to meditation and zen.
-Birch trees, the national tree of Russia, are connected with new beginnings and cleansing of the past. "Birch" is derived from a German root meaning "white, bright, or shine."
-The Oak tree has strong meanings in Roman culture; they connected the trees with the gods; it symbolizes strength and courage and was regarded by Socrates as the 'oracle tree.'
-The Willow tree is strong in Native American culture. They symbolize magic, healing, inner vision, and dreams. Its bark has been relied on for medicinal purposes. They are also a symbol of death, mourning, and reflection in East Asian cultures.
     Trees are used for resources (maybe a little too often... paper, for example)
-Maple trees (syrup), Cherry trees (fruits), Elder trees (berries and flowers that produce wine and brandy), Willow trees (the acid that we know as aspirin), Eucalyptus (medicine to remedy colds, headaches, coughs, asthma, flu), Cypress tree (hair products).

MORE ON TREES



The tree will be made out of recycled materials.

Incorporating recycled materials into architecture is sustainable and inexpensive. Cardboard, with the right water-proofing, can be a great resource in building homes. Tires also work to keep in heat in the winter. Coke bottles are just fun, and building a home out of an enormous collection of them is a fantastic way to use your old bottles.

RECYCLED HOMES



I was inspired by Barthes discussion on Paris and the Eiffel Tower, and I find the Tower to be beautifully brilliant. It's the heart of the city, and it overlooks the city; it is massive in its physical form and its cultural meaning. But even better would be the same thing on a larger scale: the heart of our world, and overlooking it.


Below are a couple preliminary sketches of my thoughts on trees and my design:

I want to project satellite images of Earth onto sections of the tree so people are actually looking at the Earth as they view this monument. I also want to project satellite images of Earth onto the ground around the tree. There will be a sort of ladder/metal staircase around the tree that allow people to trek to the top ("climbing the tree") in order to view the images from above. A version of overlooking Earth.

The trunk will be made out of recycled bottles, the branches out of recycled rubber tires, and the leaves out of recycled plastic bags.

improv everywhere

human mirror


grocery store musical


suicide jumper


cell phone symphony

more on improbable monuments...

Roland Barthes, Roland Barthes, what to say about Roland Barthes...
It's like I'm in his head when I read his words. The way he writes... unstructured and jumbled with no clear beginning or end. Just his thoughts exactly as he's thinking them.
Advertisements and magazine covers are made to draw people in; the image is the selling point. Every color, every shape, every letter is strategically compiled to catch the eye of the passerby. Barthes really felt the need to go way into that. A different and interesting read nonetheless.

Onto the Eiffel Tower.... he talks about it in relation to vision, science, art, architecture, religion... he's everywhere. Still, not much structure in his ideas.... just a cluster of them, seemingly never-ending. Interesting though, how the monument has no physical use. It's just a symbol; something to see. He also discusses the Tower in relation to nature. How it overlooks the city, the mountains, the waters, the forests. One of the major power that the Tower holds is its height; (makes me wonder.... what if there was a monument so tall, it overlooked Earth. A bird's eye view of not only a city.... but an entire world...). His last comments say that the Eiffel Tower does everything. People can use it to think... eat... relax... be separate from the city and look upon it simultaneously. It's pretty magnificent.


I find monuments to be fascinating. They combine architecture with a deep sense of culture. They're truly massive despite the physical size. As Paula discusses in her article, they remind, they warn, and they mark. Their presence is remarkable. When I visited Washington DC, the monuments almost took my breath away. Not only is the architecture amazing, but also the age of the monuments and the immense meaning behind them. The Library of Congress was one of my favorite places to be. The building is so old. The interior was painted entirely by hand. And the documents inside are awesome! One of the most incredible documents I saw was the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. There are ideas written in the margins, and words scratched out. It's a really cool thing to see, the very beginnings of the ideas that built the country we live in today. DC in general... it's a very moving place to be.

the inside of the Library of Congress:

FDR Memorial Museum:

For my Improbable Monument, I think I will create it as massive as possible. I want it to reach space, and overlook our Earth. 

(ideas/research in progress)