‘Catharsis’ is FRLA’s response to a brief to design a memorial island for those that died on Flight MH17. We wanted to create a space that not only provided a physical memorial of this event but also helped those people effected by it grieve. Our design is for an island comprised of a thin strip of land shaped like a figure 8 or a lemniscate (the mathematical sign for infinity). A single continuous path makes its way from the landing jetty around both lakes and back again. The linear nature of this path provides a repeatable, processional experience for every visitor. They start their journey surrounded by a visually busy collection of trees and woodland plants. As they continue around the lake, these give way to shrubs and large herbs, then meadow before becoming short mown grass at the point at which the paths cross. The minimalist nature of the furthest loop provides space for contemplation before the visitor returns to the jetty experiencing the sequence of habitat changes in reverse. A larger version of the graphic below, which explains the concept in more detail, can be found here.