Maya Lin’s original competition submission for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Architectural drawings and a one page written summary. It was chosen from 1,421 entries submitted.
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Maya Lin’s original competition submission for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Architectural drawings and a one page written summary. It was chosen from 1,421 entries submitted.
JD
on 07 Oct 09Anyone interested in the story behind the memorial should watch the movie Maya Lin: A Clear Strong Vision. She was only 21 when she created it, and went up against a ton of backlash for the design.
Ari Rochmann
on 07 Oct 09I think this is a great design, and really enjoyed the flawlessly written memorial explanation.
David S
on 07 Oct 09Thank you so much for putting this here, it is extraordinary.
I am amazed (and heartened) that such a hand-made, home-made looking entry into any competition could actually place well, let alone win.
It is striking to me how she manages to:
1—include all the important bits of pertinent info within such a compact space
2—include only the important bits (no fluff here)
3—use the power of the content of her words, without the aid of “design” to embellish them
Really amazing…and for such a young person too, what a gift!
PS—do you know whether all the entries (or some) are online, as it would make an interesting study to be able to compare entries and consider their strengths and weaknesses in relation to her entry
pwb
on 08 Oct 09Steve Jobs and Maya Lin were an item for a short period.
Dave!
on 08 Oct 09The realization of the vision is also stunning. I have yet to see a more moving and effective memorial.
Richard Bird
on 08 Oct 09That’s an amazing reference. I’m not sure I’d seen that before. Yet, Maya did the right thing by not dwelling on the details visually, which forces the viewer’s right brain to see (and consider) only the big picture, the bigger idea. The left brain is then free to rationalize the decision in her words. Perfect.
creation
on 11 Oct 09really amazing how design
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