The Hall of Remembrance
Memory, above all, defines the Hall of Remembrance, the national memorial to victims of the Holocaust. Occupying the interior of the hexagonal structure that overlooks Eisenhower Plaza, the Hall is a solemn, simple space designed for public ceremonies and individual reflection. Epitaphs are set onto the limestone walls that encircle an eternal flame.
Diffused sunlight illuminates the Hall as it passes through the translucent glass of a high, center skylight. The floor is red granite, spattered and cracked by natural fissures. Narrow openings on the side walls let in light and offer partial views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.
Visitors may light memorial candles in the niches of the outer walls — a universal symbol of renewed life and a sign of remembrance in many cultures.
Above: The Hall of Remembrance.
Top right: Rose window in the ceiling of the Hall of Remembrance.
Center right: Design sketch by James Ingo Freed.
Bottom right: Space between inner and outer walls of the Hall of Remembrance.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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