Cancer Survivors Park

Houston, Texas

Block parks attempt to transcend the notion of cancer as a specific negative aspect of the human condition and try to elevate that experience to the level of fundamental mythological realizations addressing the personal growth aspect of that particular circumstance. The parks acquire their relevance through their power in the human experience rather than their association with the disease. Park design explores the use of strong symbolic forms and their powerful effect on the human psyche that sometimes exceeds or bypasses the intellect and speaks to the deeper layers of being. The arch, for example, symbolizes both victory and a passage; the columns growing from a rough amorphous base to the elegant and slender shafts and capitals at the top, are a strong symbol of transformation of being that lies at the basis of healing.