The Rivesaltes Memorial

The memorial by Rudy Ricciotti and Passelac & Roques is a monolith of ochre-coloured concrete, that provides an authoritative account of forced displacement and subjugation of populations.

A witness to some of the twentieth century’s darkest moments – the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Algerian War of Independence – the Camp de Rivesaltes occupies a unique and important place in French history. A former military camp (Camp Joffre), a camp for Spanish refugees, the largest internment camp in Southern France in 1941 and 1942, an internment camp for German prisoners of war and collaborators, and the primary relocation centre for Harkis and their families its history is unique.

In order to tell this story, a memorial designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti and the agency Passelac & Roques, opened its doors on 16 October 2015. Built on the former block F of the camp, in the middle of the existing buildings, the memorial, measuring 4,000 sqm, provides an authoritative account of the history of the forced displacement and subjugation of populations. It is also a place where visitors may cultivate the memory of all those who once passed through its doors.

The project of the Mémorial du Camp de Rivesaltes has a long history, punctuated rather unsurprisingly by the vagaries of politics, given that history, politics and memory are so closely intertwined. Three individuals played a decisive role in the origin of the project: Claude Delmas and Claude Vauchez, who were instrumental in getting the local authorities on board with the project, and Serge Klarsfeld who worked on a national level. It all began in the mid 1993, with the publication of the Journal de Rivesaltes 1941-1942 (Diary of Rivesaltes), written by Friedel Bohny-Reiter, a nurse working with a Swiss relief organization for children. In 1994, a monument was erected in memory of Jews deported from the Camp de Rivesaltes to Auschwitz, with another monument being erected in December 1995 in honour of the Harkis. This was followed by another commemorative monument in 1999, in homage to the Spanish Republicans.

“We cannot remain detached from the history of the Camp Joffre through a discourse that is indifferent to the human drama that unfolded on this very site,” writes Rudy Ricciotti. The memorial is silent and oppressive: it lies in the earth, squarely facing block F, with a calm and silent determination, a monolith of ochre-coloured concrete, untouchable, angled towards the sky. At once buried in, and emerging from the earth, the memorial appears on the surface of the natural landscape as one enters the camp, and stretches to the eastern extremity of the former meeting place, to a height that is level with the roofs of the existing buildings. This arrangement or co-visibility doesn’t hinder a reading of the features of block F. The effects of erosion over time are noticeable in some of the buildings, thereby marking erasure and absence, questioning the visitor regarding memory or oblivion. The site has been reclaimed by a tenacious and spontaneous vegetation. The project has altered none of this. If anything, it has been showcased, forming a natural backdrop to an exterior pathway where visitors can stroll freely. An environment propitious to meditation and serenity… To the west of the memorial, some of the buildings have been rebuilt, recreating the serial and alienating spatiality of the camp. Here, there is an absence of vegetation, resulting in a flat, arid landscape, unmarked by shadows, and buffeted by the wind. From the carpark, situated at the outer south-west corner of the block, the visitor can enjoy panoramic views of the camp.

The memorial is reached by a pathway that starts from the carpark, in line with the entrance to the building. This pathway leads to either the entrance of the camp or to an exterior pathway or route, with views of the nearby Corbières and Pyrénées. Visitors can pause, look around them, meditate and reflect, in this space that is free of charge and accessible to all. From the pathway, the visitor arrives at the entrance and discovers a silent monument, aligned with block F. Access to the memorial is indirect, via a ramp that is partially buried in the ground, thereby sanctifying the megalith, and becoming the stepping stone to a journey through time. This tunnel ends abruptly: the visitor finds himself facing a block that is 240 metres long, opaque and timeless, just a few metres from where he stands. After two strides in the daylight, the visitor enters a building where he will soon discover that the only views or openings towards the exterior are towards the sky itself. The lobby is enveloped in a soft lighting and a calm and serene atmosphere reigns. Propitious to a visit. Opposite the lobby is a long wall, devoid of any elements or decor, in which a passageway is situated. A kind of enigma. Once within, the visitor finds himself in a unique space. He can see small chinks of light skimming the ground and the surface of the ochre concrete walls. The atmosphere is heavy and solemn. It is a long passageway, relatively narrow. Visitors move forward, curious, until they reach the exhibition space. At times, they cross paths with visitors coming in the opposite direction. The atmosphere promotes silence. The temporary and permanent exhibition spaces are arranged around a large pillared hall, artificially lit from the ground, with large-sized images projected onto vertical concrete walls.

The scenography is modest, without grandiloquence, placed at a distance from the walls, allowing a complete reading of the volume of the room. The visit continues with a return to the gallery, but in reverse. The visitor then leaves the memorial to go back outside into the camp and the dazzling light. The outside path forms a loop around the museum, marking the end of the visit. The memorial offers no view of the exterior, except for the sky. However, microcosms are present here and there inside the building. Three patios structure the organization of the learning labs, social area and offices, all the while providing a certain sense of comfort. These are three distinct worlds, each differing in their vocation. This project is rooted in acceptance. Acceptance of the block, its lines, its military geometry transformed into something alienating, and of course, its history. Acceptance of the wind that blows. The nearby wind turbines are proof that our era coexists with the wind. Our epoch can coexist with its history. The Rivesaltes Memorial, compacted between earth and sky, between past and memory, is situated exactly in the present and in life itself. Its formal violence demonstrates the impossibility of forgetting.

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Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo Kevin Dolmaire

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo Kevin Dolmaire

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo Olivier Ansellem

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo Dorine Potel. Courtesy of Galerie Caroline Smulders Paris

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo Dorine Potel. Courtesy of Galerie Caroline Smulders Paris

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo rights reserved

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo rights reserved

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo rights reserved

Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects, The Rivesaltes Memorial. Photo rights reserved

The Rivesaltes Memorial
Design: Rudy Ricciotti, Passelac & Roques Architects
Programme: permanent exhibition space (1,000 sqm); temporary exhibition space (400 sqm); 145-seater auditorium; research centre; learning labs space; social area.

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