From: Voytek Gorczynski

<voytek.gorczynski@abstraktstudio.ca>
Date: Thursday, November 3, 2016 at 2:47 PM
To: <Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: "UPE Planification d'vnements / EPU Events
Planning (PCH/PCH)"
<PCH.upeplanificationdevenementsepueventsplanning.PCH@canada.ca>
Subject: Memorial to the Victims of Communism
Ms. Mlanie Joly
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6
Dear Ms. Joly
I am writing on behalf of our design team concerning the
Memorial to the Victims of Communism project. We are
the winners of the design competition held in 2014. The
jury for the competition issued post competition
assessment of our entry in 2014, which included
statements such as:

Overall design has a powerful mission and a

conviction of message

Concept is of an international calibre, unique

and contemporary: a global conversation piece and a
destination that will allow teaching

Concept has a real soulit is arresting and has

a very strong presence that reflects the message of
going from a singular tragic death to the murder of
millions

100-million concept of the smallest identifiable

part of the human form multiplied by a million is clever

and will resonate with visitors

Effective use of contemporary formal elements

with spatial possibilities, using the entire site

Folded plates are powerful and the bridge of

hope is a beautiful architectural gesture

Interesting relationship to the classical

architectural order of the Parliamentary Precinct

An urban plaza with repose, axially, dignity,

timeless qualities, and a strong focus
We understand that public reaction in Ottawa regarding
the location of the memorial was very negative. In the
project development process out team was cognizant of
various negative comments and we were very diligent in
responding to them by adjusting our design to fit it
better to the site and the context we were given. As a
result, we reduced the size of the memorial by close to
50% and working with the National Capital Commission
and PCH significantly improved its relationship within the
Judicial Precinct.
The federal elections in October 2015 put the Memorial
project on hold and subsequently new approach was put
forward regarding the Memorial. I wrote to you in
December 2015 asking for a meeting to discuss the
Memorial (see attached response) as we wanted to give
you as the incoming Minister of Canadian Heritage
explanation of our concept directly from the perspective
of our design team. We were not given a chance to meet
with you. Subsequently we found out from the press in
December 2015 about the cancellation of the Memorial
project and in February 2015 our contract was formally
terminated without explanation.
In the meantime, the new site was selected for the
Memorial. Logic and fairness would dictate that if the
location of the Memorial has changed, we as winners of

the design competition would be given a chance to

respond to this change. However, the new design
competition was announced on the new site in the
Garden of Provinces and Territories.
On Monday October 31, 2016 we received email from
Francine Lefebvre (PCH) informing us that our team has
not qualified for the second phase of the competition
for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism Canada,
a Land of Refuge.
As winners of the original 2014 design competition we
should be automatically qualified, instead we are being
completely shut out and are not even given a chance to
participate in the competition on the new site. In our
view the handling of the Memorial project and the
treatment of our design team along the way is less than
fair. It is a blatant display of complete disregard for
design professionals in general and complete lack of
respect for our design team.
I would like to convey to you that this Memorial is very
close to our hearts. Being born and raised in communist
Poland, experiencing first-hand atrocities and brutality of
the communist system we have deeply personal interest
in the project.
Sincerely,
Voytek Gorczynski
Architect, M.Arch. OAA
principal