For a project that is deeply personal to us, it is with immense gratitude and honor to be selected to design the permanent installation of the French Quarter Terrorism Attack Memorial.

As an extension of Second Line in the Sky, Studio West looks forward to continuing this work alongside our dear friends and collaborators from Second Line in the Sky, Babette Beaullieu, and Jan Gilbert, with the recent addition of Spackman Mossop Michaels. Together, our proposal, Embrace, builds on the spirit of Second Line in the Sky, drawing from New Orleans’ traditions of gathering, remembrance, and collective care. Envisioned as a place of peace, resilience, and reflection, Embrace looks to hold space for both the weight of the tragic event of January 1, 2025 and the passage of time.

Brittany Francois, a survivor of the attack and President of the Fourteens Foundation, which was formed in response to the January 1 attack, captured the significance of this work beautifully: “This is not just a project. It is something deeply personal, something that carries memory, emotion, and meaning for so many.”

Appropriately situated along the Mississippi River, the project engages the powerful elements of its site—earth, water, and wind—to create an intimate place for reflection with expansive views of the river and sky. The project will incorporate a series of intimate yet enduring elements and proposes the annual installation of Second Line in the Sky prayer flags and lightwork timed to coincide with the anniversary of the attack.

Studio West looks forward to continuing this work alongside the greater New Orleans community and embarking on this journey together as Embrace takes shape.