Arcs: A Monument to the Legacy of Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson

Atlanta, GA

Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson were master visionaries. They imagined Atlanta as a city that could lead the way for a new South–– uplifting American values through a vision of equity and solidarity. They fervently believed that their dream for Atlanta would inspire their southern neighbors and ultimately the rest of the nation to have a more inclusive purpose that would have all people–– regardless of color–– be the drivers that would improve the lives for all Atlantans. Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson firmly believed in this possibility, a dream so clear and powerful that we feel the ripples of their bravery, of their visionary spirit in Atlanta today. Together, they sought to build a bridge of hope –– a bridge built by aspirations, community, and a shared purpose that set their focus on the horizon and not the past. So, together, they paved a path and led the way to the Atlanta that we all share in today. The spirit of these two great Atlanta leaders and what they have accomplished has charged us to be as brave, bold, and visionary as they were.

We propose that we bring to fruition the metaphorical bridge that Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson built for all of us. We’ve created a memorial that invites the public to learn, to engage, and ultimately to uplift the legacies of Ivan Allen Jr and Maynard Jackson. To achieve this we have created a variety of interactive elements that gather, collect, and share the stories of local community members, as well as visitors from abroad while providing an equitable space for all to gather and enjoy the fruits of these two men’s labor & passion. When activated by the public, interactive lighting on the underside of each arc provides a variety of interactive experiences for visitors. Audio and visual stories, city-related information, historical content, that can be shared and experienced through dynamic interactive systems. Lastly, each arc represents Ivan Allen and Maynard Jackson respectively, reaching out to each other to pass on the responsibility of upholding the legacy and vision of a more equitable ATL to each other and to their citizens. We believe that what we’re proposing embodies the spirit and radical act of envisioning a future that we have yet to see or imagine, but still aspire and run toward it.

Done in collaboration with Bradley Bowers, Pablo Gnecco, Jordan Graves and Eric Rabinowitz

Services: urban design, architectural design