The site is a nuclear testing facility on Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where the United States conducted experiments from the 1950s through the 1970s. Large amounts of radioactive contaminated soil and debris were buried here, and because the structure was never intended to be permanent, its deterioration in recent years has raised concerns about the leakage of radioactive materials.
This artwork reimagines the site as a facility that can be visited as a Nuclear Memorial—a place that permanently contains nuclear materials in a safe form, securing them through sufficient half-lives until they become harmless, while also honoring the victims of the atomic bombings and encouraging reflection on the tragedy of nuclear weapons.
The dome is embedded with countless strands of fiberglass, allowing light from within to seep through and create the appearance of a star-filled night sky. These “stars” represent the countless individuals who lost their lives to the atomic bomb, symbolizing their ascent to the heavens and memorializing their presence, while also conveying the sheer number of victims.
Inside the dome, its curved form evokes the experience of stepping into a planetarium, enveloped by a night sky. Beneath this space, the contaminated nuclear materials are securely contained, resting until the time when they have fully decayed into harmless substances.