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The six finalists for the memorial to L.A.’s 1871 Chinese Massacre

The six selected proposals start from very different approaches to remembering a tragic event that disappeared from the urban landscape.

Proposal submitted by Sze Tsung, Nicolás Leong, and Judy Chui-Hua Chung for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Frederick Fisher and Partners and artist Candice Lin for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by architectural studios Figure and J. Jih for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Anna Sew and Zhu Jia and Formation Association Artists for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Sonam Lhamo and Jiawei Yao and Yiying Tang Architectural Team for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Fung + Blatt Architects for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Sze Tsung, Nicolás Leong, and Judy Chui-Hua Chung for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Frederick Fisher and Partners and artist Candice Lin for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by architectural studios Figure and J. Jih for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Anna Sew and Zhu Jia and Formation Association Artists for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Sonam Lhamo and Jiawei Yao and Yiying Tang Architectural Team for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Proposal submitted by Fung + Blatt Architects for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Image courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

The story of the “Chinatown Massacre”, which occurred in 1871 in Los Angeles, was completely absent in the city’s urban landscape. For this reason, in 2001 the Chinese American Museum installed a plaque on the sidewalk where violence broke out to commemorate it. Later, in 2021, the mayor of Los Angeles promoted a program to develop a memorial celebrating the attack that resulted in the deaths of 18 men of Chinese descent.

The six finalists were selected by a jury of nine members, including artists, architects, curators and other culturally significant figures. The proposals used various approaches to recall the terrible event, which took place in Calle de los Negros, near Plaza de Los Angeles, at that time a Chinese enclave.

Finalists:: 1. Sonam Lhamo, Jiawei Yao and Yiying; 2. Frederick Fisher and Partners and Candice Lin; 3. Sze Tsung Nicolás Leong and Judy Chui-Hua Chung; 4. Fung + Blatt Architects; 5. Anna Sew Hoy and Zhu Jia, in collaboration with Formation Association; 6. Figure and J. Jih

Get the best of Domus straight to your inbox!

The six finalists for the memorial to L.A.’s 1871 Chinese Massacre

The six selected proposals start from very different approaches to remembering a tragic event that disappeared from the urban landscape.

Proposal submitted by Sze Tsung, Nicolás Leong, and Judy Chui-Hua Chung for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Frederick Fisher and Partners and artist Candice Lin for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by architectural studios Figure and J. Jih for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Anna Sew and Zhu Jia and Formation Association Artists for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Sonam Lhamo and Jiawei Yao and Yiying Tang Architectural Team for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Fung + Blatt Architects for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Sze Tsung, Nicolás Leong, and Judy Chui-Hua Chung for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Frederick Fisher and Partners and artist Candice Lin for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by architectural studios Figure and J. Jih for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Anna Sew and Zhu Jia and Formation Association Artists for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Sonam Lhamo and Jiawei Yao and Yiying Tang Architectural Team for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

Proposal submitted by Fung + Blatt Architects for a monument to the 1871 Chinese Massacre in downtown L.A.

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