Three charred wood structures with brass interiors form a memorial that pays homage to African American history at the entrance to a school and park in Washington DC.

Tennessee studio After Architecture has constructed the Camp Barker Memorial on the grounds of Garrison Elementary School to be a "functional, educational and commemorative" monument to America's history of oppression.
During the Civil War, the site was a "contraband camp" used to house former black slaves who had been captured by the Union army. The studio designed the memorial to honour the ground's history, while still maintaining its use today as a shared community space.

"Camp Barker Memorial simultaneously addresses the unmarked history of the site and its modern-day function as a public elementary school and popular public park," After Architecture said.
Each of the three pieces creates a gateway into the public space and takes on its own unique form. The portals are 10.5 feet (3.2 metres) tall, while their widths range from 6.5 feet (1.9 metres) to 16 feet (4.8 metres).
The largest incorporates small habitable spaces into its design by attaching additional structures on each side of the main frame.

"Traditionally, a memorial takes form as a singular monument within the landscape, acting as a destination to be visited," studio co-founder ?Kyle Schumann added.
"Taking the memorial off its pedestal and making it into a space allows it to be accessible to e...