Reflection Memorial Martin Place

The work must sustain the memory of an event and the public response to it and bring some closure for the families of the victims and the hostages. . It must comply with the City of Sydney's Martin Place Masterplan respect the character, important axial vistas and existing pedestrian flows, and comply with standards for pavement design, slip resistance, street cleaning maintenance regimes and truck loading. Each cube must be easily removed for repair of damage, or the whole work temporarily removed or relocated should it be necessary in the future.

The work comprises 210 hand crafted, brass, powder coated flowers, 12 varieties,19 colours, each flower unique, housed in a mirrored stainless-steel cube inserted flush with the granite pavement of Martin Place arranged in a random starburst pattern creating a visual field of flowers below the pavement. The investment cast stainless 76mm steel cubes, their fixing socket and the laminated scratch resistant glass are designed and manufactured to exacting tolerances and standards. Art work is installed under strict curatorial procedures and the cubes are assembled and sealed in a dry environment to minimise condensation and pressure tested for leaks before installation.

The concept for the memorial creates a subtle, reflective and symbolic memory of the floral tribute laid by thousands of people following the December 2014 Martin Place siege. This tribute, an unexpected, spontaneous and respectful public and private response encapsulated so simply and eloquently all the complex layers of thought and emotion, public and private, related to this tragic event. The project has an enduring public impact for a relatively modest budget and scale. The work is designed and materials and manufacturing methods carefully selected to ensure that maintenance is minimal and any damage can be readily repaired.

The concept was developed with very close collaboration of architect, industrial designer and artist. The design was developed and refined through extensive research, component prototypes, testing and a full size on-site prototype prior to fabrication and installation. Lighting designers, façade engineers, slip testing laboratory specialists, planners, heritage consultants and the City of Sydney public domain and public art advisors completed the consultant team. The work is comprised of 210 hand crafted flowers, each unique, housed in a stainless-steel cube with a glass top fitted flush with the pavement. The cubes are arranged in a random pattern within a 100 square metre area in Martin Place. Flowers left after the siege including those which were more prolific, those that were first laid and those handpicked have been refined into 12 varieties and 19 colours and special flowers clusters selected as a tribute to the two young Australian’s killed during the siege, sunflowers for Tori Johnson and hydrangeas for Katrina Dawson. The work is designed so that each cube can be easily removed from its socket with a custom designed tool for repair of damage, replacement with a spare, or the whole work temporarily removed or relocated if necessary in the future.