Collier Memorial

The Collier Memorial designed by Höweler + Yoon Architecture will be constructed on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA.
The stone structure will be a lasting testament to officer Sean Collier and his service for the MIT. Inspired by the gesture of an Open Hand, the memorial consists of five radial walls meeting at a center.
The memorial is comprised of 32 large, solid granite blocks sourced from domestic quarries. The stones are fabricated precisely to create the complex geometry with minimal tolerances. The vertical loads of the self-weight of the central vault transfer a horizontal thrust to each of the five legs supporting the entire structure in compression, although the inner part is relatively flat. The granite blocks rest on a grade beam preventing outward displacement of blocks and transfers the vertical load of the blocks to the foundation piles.
Knippers Helbig assisted Höweler + Yoon Architecture with the structural design of the memorial, developed specific details meeting architectural design requirements and provided consulting services for experimental testing program carried out to determine resistance of connection details.