Daniel Roche at The Architect’s Newspaper:
In Washington, D.C. the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation (FJMF) announced the names of four shortlisted teams to design the country’s first monument dedicated to press freedom and journalists who died in the field. Höweler+Yoon Architecture, John Ronan Architects, MOS alongside Hood Design Studio, and NADAAA were each chosen by the FJMF’s Design Team Selection Committee. The reviewers include Paul Goldberger, Milton Curry of Cornell University, landscape architect Mia Lehrer, architecture critic Blair Kamin, and other esteemed interlocutors.
The announcement follows a rigorous multi-stage selection competition which had 54 entries. The initial entries were then narrowed down to 12 design teams who subsequently presented their work for the selection committee last November.
The FJMF was authorized by U.S. Congress to build the memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C. in December 2020. It’s led by journalism professor Barbara Cochran and David Dreier, a former U.S. Representative and past Chairman of the Tribune Publishing Company. Its board of advisors contain numerous leaders from the journalism community including editors, news anchors, and photojournalists.
Josh Niland at Architect News:
In a press release announcing the finalists, David Dreier, the Chairman of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, said: “I’m excited to learn how they translate the concept of press freedom and the notion of honoring those who have lost their lives in pursuit of truth into a cohesive design of this public memorial of preeminent and historical significance.”