Irish Hunger Memorial in Lower Manhattan, featuring a dramatic cantilevered concrete base with illuminated horizontal bands, supporting a landscaped rooftop against the backdrop of glass towers.

Irish Hunger Memorial

In commemoration of the Great Irish Hunger, the Battery Park City Authority selected 1100 Architect, in collaboration with landscape architect Gail Wittwer-Laird, and artist Brian Tolle, to create a meditative space for contemplation for this historic famine and its connections to world hunger today. On a base of Irish limestone and illuminated glass, the team re-created a rugged landscape, accessed through a passageway that opens to the ruins of a donated famine-era cottage from Ireland’s County Mayo. Rising from street level at its southeastern corner to a height of 25 feet at its western end, the landscape provides visitors with views of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island.

Side view of the Irish Hunger Memorial, highlighting the layered stone landscape resting atop the angular, striped concrete plinth.
Exterior view of the Irish Hunger Memorial showing the cantilevered stone-topped form elevated above the striped illuminated base.
A silhouetted figure stands inside the illuminated entry passage of the Irish Hunger Memorial, light filtering through horizontal illuminated bands.
View through a stone archway at the Irish Hunger Memorial, where sunlight highlights a glowing striped tunnel beneath the landscape.
Interior view of the reconstructed Irish cottage ruin at the Irish Hunger Memorial, with rough stone walls opening to the city beyond.
Visitors walk across the grassy landscape of the Irish Hunger Memorial, built with stone walls and native plantings, set against a modern city skyline.
Site plan of the Irish Hunger Memorial, showing pathways, stone walls, green areas, and labeled county stones representing Ireland’s 32 counties.

Awards: New York Association of Consulting Engineers, Engineering Excellence Award, Platinum Award, 2003
Publications: Bailey, Spencer. “In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials.” 1. Edition. Phaidon, October 2020.
Bevan, Robert. “Out of the Ashes: The Legacy of 9/11.” The Art Newspaper, September 2011.
Quartino, Daniela Santos, ed. New York Architecture. Barcelona: Loft Publications, 2010.
Vidiella, Àlex Sánchez. The Sourcebook of Contemporary Architecture. New York: Collins Design, 2007.
Fuchigami, Masayuki. A Guide to Contemporary Architecture in America, Volume 2: Eastern USA. Tokyo: TOTO Shuppan, 2006.
Stern, Robert A.M., David Fishman, and Jacob Tilove. New York 2000. New York: The Monacelli Press, 2006.
Oriol, Anja Llorella, ed. Ultimate New York Design. Madrid: teNeues, 2006.
“The Irish Hunger Memorial, Battery Park City, New York.” Dialogue, November 2004.
Bulthaup, Gerd, ed. Perspectives. Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe Verlag GmbH, 2004.

Architectural diagram of the Irish Hunger Memorial illustrating its layered construction, including the illuminated base, structural grid, and elevated landscaped platform.
Aerial view of the Irish Hunger Memorial showing its elevated grass-covered landscape, stone walls, and angular form overlooking the Hudson River waterfront.

Davidson, Cynthia. “Irish Hunger Memorial.” Architectural Record, July 2003.
Kubiak, Meike. “Raue Landschaft.” Deutsche BauZeitschrift, May 2003.
Kay, Jane Holtz. “A Hunger for Memorials.” Landscape Architecture, March 2003.
“1100 Architect, The Irish Hunger Memorial.” Architecture and Urbanism, March 2003.
D’Arcy, David. “The Trail of Tears: Memorials Multiply.” The Art Newspaper, March 2003.
Dillon, David. “Memory of Want.” The Dallas Morning News, February 12, 2003.
Nobel, Philip. “Going Hungry.” Metropolis, November 2002.
Ryan, Zoe. “Human Nature.” Take the R Train / Van Alen Report, August 13, 2002.
Saltonstall, David. “Irish Memorial is Unveiled.” Daily News, July 17, 2002.
Gardner, James. “Irish Famine Memorial Opens.” NY Sun, July 16, 2002.Smith, Roberta. “A Memorial Remembers the Hungry.” The New York Times, July 16, 2002.
Dunlap, David W. “New Melting Pot of Museums Downtown.” The New York Times, August 5, 2001.
Hearns, Orla. “Mayo Famine Cottage for US Memorial Site.” Western People, June 6, 2001.
Kaizen, William R. “Brian Tolle.” BOMB, Summer 2001.
“A Wee Bit of Irish Countryside for New York.” Architectural Record, May 2001.
Saul, Michael. “Irish Famine Memorial Begun.” The Daily News,March 16, 2001.
Dunlap, David W. “Memorial to the Hunger, Complete With Old Sod.” The New York Times, March 15, 2001.

Exterior view of the Irish Hunger Memorial at night, glowing with horizontal illuminated light bands while silhouetted visitors gather around the entrance.
Close-up view of illuminated horizontal light bands at the Irish Hunger Memorial, inscribed with historical texts about famine and resilience.

Typology: Civic/Cultural
Services: New Buildings
Status: Completed
Size: 16320 SF
Location: New York, NY
Design Team: Principal-in-Charge/Design Principal:
David Piscuskas, FAIA, LEED AP,
Juergen Riehm, FAIA, BDA
Photography: © PETER AARON

A visitor stands illuminated by glowing horizontal light bands beneath the stone-clad overhang of the Irish Hunger Memorial at dusk, with a city tower visible in the background.

Other Projects

Baltusrol Golf Club Playdeck Building
UPenn Perry World House—limestone-clad modern building adjoining a preserved historic house on the university campus

Perry World House University of Pennsylvania