Earth Memorial / Gitai Architects

Architects: Gitai Architects
Area: 800 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Yohan Zerdoun
Manufacturers: Sika, Excellent Coatings, Greenline, Rammed Earth, Steico, Tradical® Bâtir
Lead Architects: Ben Gitai, Munio Gitai, Dani Guinness, Charly Crochu
Typography Design: Michael Gordon
Soundscaper: Ludowig Berger, Alexander Pospischil
Department of Civil Engineering at the Technion Haifa: Sagi Filin, Reuma Raav
Rammed Earth: Nitzan Iserovitch, Yaron freelander
Clients: The municipality of Haifa
City: Kiryat Haim
Country: Israel

Earth Memorial, designed by Gitai Architects in Kyriat Haim, Haifa, was commissioned in 2017 to honor fallen soldiers from the last decade of war. Built entirely from earth (Adama in Hebrew), it is the first memorial to use this material and technique. The open room system allows visitors to connect visually and aurally with the natural surroundings, blending memory and nature. Integrated soundscapes turn the names of the fallen into harmonic compositions, with each letter triggering a musical note. Every three minutes, a chord forms, articulating the presence of the absent through sound. The memorial evolves as a dynamic, boundaryless space that invites personal introspection and reflection on memory, time, and place.

Reflecting on a piece of land can awaken various senses and memories, evoking stories and events from both the past and potential future. The act of contemplating the environment merges an individual’s personal narrative with the observation of the land, creating a singular moment of connection. Through this process, the observer’s gaze travels across the natural surroundings, simultaneously initiating an inner journey that, through multiple paths, shapes the mental landscape and deepens their connection to both place and self.

These layers of time and stratification were embodied in a memorial project designed by Ben Gitai Architects, commissioned by the city of Haifa in 2017 to create a commemorative space for soldiers who died in the last decade of war. The architecture and design proposal is for a memorial park in Kyriat Haim, Israel, constructed entirely from earth (Adama in Hebrew). In terms of landscape and architectural techniques, this memorial is the first of its kind, as no previous memorial has utilized this specific method. The project integrates spatial qualities, craftsmanship, materiality, and collective memory, transforming the landscape into a place of remembrance and reflection.

In this project, the public space is transformed into a memorial site where the memory of fallen soldiers merges with nature and the earth. The open architectural configuration places each earth element within an open room system, allowing visitors’ eyes and ears to engage with the surroundings from all directions. This design creates a space where the presence of the deceased can enter into a silent dialogue with the living, fostering a connection between memory and place.

The memorial was intentionally located near a children’s playground, which forms an integral part of the design. This overlaying element brings life and energy to the memorial through a soundscape system integrated into earth benches, where a continuous soundstream composition connects the voices of the living with the memory of the fallen.

The earth song is a harmonization created through the names of the fallen soldiers, with each letter corresponding to a specific musical note. This forms the harmonic foundation through which nature is transformed into sound. Every three minutes, a chord is generated, with the first names of the fallen soldiers triggering individual tones that contribute to the environmental transformation. This process articulates the sound of absence, marking the passing of time and honoring each fallen individual through an evolving musical composition.

The streaming living sounds create an auditory space that lacks any specific focus, field, or defined boundaries, rejecting the idea of fixed and stable limits. Instead, the sound seems to be part of the environment itself, rather than being contained within a specific space. This open-form system, created by the earth elements, invites each visitor to embark on a personal auditory journey, allowing the memory of the fallen to resonate within and evoke introspection and reflection.

The Earth Memorial becomes, in each moment, neither a purely visual nor a clearly defined structure, but rather a dynamic, ever-changing space that creates its own dimensions, representing memory through time. It has no fixed boundaries or background, allowing it to continuously evolve. As visitors focus their gaze, they observe, abstract, and place each earth element in the physical space, establishing a relationship with the surrounding environment and creating a personal connection to the memorial’s meaning.