MASS Design Selected to Replace Confederate Statue in Charlottesville with “Rooted” Monument

Model of Architecture Serving Society’s (MASS) design, titled “Rooted,” has been selected by the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (JSAAHC) to replace the former statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia’s Market Street Park. The announcement was made on the fifth anniversary of the statue’s removal.

MASS emerged as the winner after a design competition that included two other finalists: Hood Design Studio and PUSH. The “Swords into Plowshares” initiative, which led to the competition, involved a public engagement process where residents reviewed and rank-choice voted on the finalist proposals. “Rooted” secured 64 percent of first-choice votes.

Por que importa

Figurative sculptor Dana King collaborated with MASS on the sculptural element of the project. Jha D Amazi, principal of MASS’s Public Memory and Memorials Lab, explained the concept’s intent: “We wanted to find a concept that spoke to this persistence from the Black community, from the African American Charlottesvillian community, to say, ‘We will not be denied. We will be rooted here.'”

The “Rooted” design reimagines the smelted bronze from the original Robert E. Lee statue into the trunks of a 27-foot-tall Baobab tree. The tree is positioned within a circular space designed to foster community interaction. MASS’s Public Memory and Memorials division, which focuses on creating public spaces that explore memory as a tool for justice and healing, developed the design. This division previously worked on “Embrace,” a 2021 project honoring Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contexto

The effort to replace the monument in Charlottesville has been a protracted process spanning nearly a decade. The initial vote to remove the Robert E. Lee statue occurred nearly ten years ago, an event that preceded the deadly “Unite the Right” rally. The statue itself was removed in 2021, and its bronze was melted down in 2023 for reuse in the new sculpture.

Dana King expressed her hopes for the park’s future: “My hope is that in a few years, the park will be full of laughter and playfulness, conversations and dancing. Because then, ROOTED will have done what it was intended to do—bring all kinds of people together in comfort, creating something we can all be wildly proud of.”

Key facts
| Information | Detail |
|———————-|—————————————————————————-|
| Selected Design | Rooted |
| Design Firm | Model of Architecture Serving Society’s (MASS) |
| Location | Market Street Park, Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Material | Smelted bronze from former Robert E. Lee statue |
| Sculpture Symbolism | 27-foot-tall Baobab tree |
| Public Vote | Rooted received 64% of first-choice votes |
| Collaboration | Dana King (figurative sculptor) |
| Initiative | Swords into Plowshares |
| Organizing Body | Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (JSAAHC) |

This development is significant for readers interested in public art, urban regeneration, and the complex process of memorialization and reconciliation in American cities. The transformation of a controversial symbol into a space for community and reflection highlights evolving approaches to public space design and historical memory.

Source: The Architect’s Newspaper, https://www.archpaper.com/2026/07/mass-replace-confederate-statue-charlottesville-virginia/

Datos clave