On 6 August 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped on a city that was virtually wiped out: Hiroshima.

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of this event, artist Clara Halter and architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the creators of the Wall for Peace in Paris (2000) and the Peace Tower in Saint Petersburg (2003), have designed an intriguing promenade-monument. Ten Gates of Peace, to be built on a ninety-three metre long square will catch the eye of visitors who will no longer simply look at the memorial in contemplative memory, but actively experience with their entire being the place, the memory and, by extension, Peace. The word “Peace”, translated in forty-nine languages and eighteen alphabets, covers the monument’s transparent glass panels. Thus, as the visitor goes through the gates and walks around the stone square, also engraved with the word “peace”, the concept is revitalised. The participant’s active presence within the architectural structure and his ensuing desire for peace become an integral part of the work.

Looking to the future: Spread out along Peace Boulevard opposite Peace Park designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in 1949, the Gates of Peace, by their number (ten) of Gates of Peace and height (nine metres), echo the International Peace Museum, the famous Memorial also created by Kenzo Tange in the aftermath of the atomic bomb. The function of both the Memorial and the Park is to commemorate the event. The promenade-monument by Clara Halter and Jean-Michel Wilmotte goes beyond the boundaries of history, reaching towards the future thereby creating a new link between past memory and future hopes – a stepping stone.

The monument will be inaugurated on 30 July 2005 in Hiroshima by the Mayor, Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba.