Quotes of the Day

A short drive up the Thai coast from the resort island of Phuket lies a pristine, rain-forest-covered headland overlooking the Andaman Sea. This 11-hectare expanse is designated to be the site of a memorial to the victims of the tsunami, which killed as many as 8,000 people in Thailand and nearly 300,000 around the region a year ago. The memorial's design is being chosen through an international competition whose key mandates are harmony with nature, and subtlety: abstract references to the disaster are preferred to literal representations. "We didn't want any design involving waves," says one of the seven jurors, Swedish interior architect Jonas Bohlin. "If you've been through the tsunami, you don't want to walk under a wave again." After sifting through 379 entries from 43 countries, the jury picked these five finalists last month. The winner will be announced in May.

Ana Somoza Jimenez: This Spanish architect proposes a cluster of steel-monuments inspired by the towering rock formations along Thailand's southern coast. The towers, whose tapering, segmented shapes recall pagodas or temples, would house a museum and other functional spaces.

Anu Puustinen: While most entries called for monumental structures, this Finnish architect proposes something more interactive. A meandering walkway would crisscross a stream and lead down to the beach; visitors would make boats by folding banana leaves, and would then set them afloat on the sea as ritual offerings. "People participate by making a personal act," she explains, "and together they create the memorial."

Richard Weller/Gary Marinko: Simplicity and elegance mark the memorial suggested by these Australian partners, landscape architect Weller and architect Marinko. It would consist of a 200-m-wide field of floating lights in the ocean, to be viewed from the headland or the beach. "Lighting up the ocean plays on something basic," says Weller. "I suppose it's an optimistic sign."

Liang Hou: "After the disaster, people want to be closer to the gods, closer to what they believe, and most importantly closer to each other," says Shanghai-based architect Liang Hou. His proposal, a Stonehenge-like structure of massive white blocks, forms an abstract, architectural sculpture of people dancing in a circle.

Raveevarn Choksombatchai: A tube-like bridge designed by this Thai-born, California-based architect is the most abstract design to make the cut, and it's also one of the most visually intriguing. Built from a lattice of wood and other natural materials, it's meant to blend in with the surrounding forest, prompting visitors to reflect on humans' relationship with nature.

• Ilya Garger
• Thailand announces five finalists for its planned tsunami memorial