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.