Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial by Yanci Chen and Jing Chen

Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial by Yanci Chen and Jing Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Ferro in Deseño de Produtos Sustentables, Proxectos e Deseño Verde Competition Category.

FerroProduto Sustentable· 2025

Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial

by Yanci Chen and Jing Chen

Client: Ycj Studio

A' Design Award de Ferro Winner in Produto Sustentable Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial

Correntes Silenciosas é un proxecto memorial e de restauración mariña que transforma un antigo lugar de ensaios nucleares nun santuario mariño. As estruturas de arrecife artificial están feitas de formigón de grao mariño enriquecido con carbonato de calcio para favorecer o crecemento do coral e a biodiversidade. Os camiños somerxidos e as plataformas de observación flotantes permiten aos visitantes contemplar o ecosistema en recuperación. Xeradores de enerxía das mareas fornecen a electricidade necesaria para o lugar. O deseño conecta a lembranza do pasado coa renovación ecolóxica a longo prazo.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Ferro

Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial gañou o A' Design Award de Ferro, un recoñecemento prestixioso outorgado a bos deseños que cumpren os requisitos profesionais e industriais esperados de creacións ben deseñadas. Os gañadores Ferro demostran a gran habilidade, a alta especialización, a comprensión experta e a capacidade creativa dos seus creadores. Espérase que Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial sexa unha creación moi apreciada, admirada e querida que é práctica e innovadora. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Ferro integra as mellores prácticas do sector e ten características técnicas competentes ligadas ao saber facer e ao talento. Slient Currents Restauración Ecolóxica Memorial é respectado pola súa minuciosidade e está deseñado para proporcionar melloras na calidade de vida que axudan a facer do mundo un lugar mellor.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Silent Currents is a memorial and ecological restoration project that transforms a former nuclear test site into a thriving marine sanctuary. The design fosters reef regeneration through artificial reef structures made from eco-friendly marine concrete, accelerating coral growth. Submerged pathways and floating observation points allow visitors to witness marine revival, while integrated tidal energy systems symbolize a transition to sustainable coexistence, merging memory with renewal.
Dimensions & Packaging: Silent Currents spans a 5,000m² marine restoration zone, with artificial reef structures ranging from 2,000mm to 5,000mm in height to support diverse marine habitats. Submerged pathways extend 1,500mm wide, allowing controlled visitor access. Floating observation platforms measure 10,000mm in diameter, integrating tidal energy systems. The site is designed for gradual ecological adaptation, ensuring long-term biodiversity and marine life regeneration.
Tags: marine restoration, artificial reef, tidal energy, ecological memorial, coral regeneration, underwater architecture, sustainable design, nuclear test site transformation, biodiversity conservation, submerged pathways
Production Technology: Silent Currents employs marine-grade concrete infused with calcium carbonate to accelerate coral growth and restore marine biodiversity. 3D-printed reef structures optimize surface texture for marine life attachment, while submerged pathways and floating observation decks use recycled polymers and corrosion-resistant alloys. Tidal energy generators harness ocean currents for sustainable power, ensuring a self-sustaining, low-impact intervention that merges ecological restoration with memorialization.
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge in Silent Currents was transforming a contaminated nuclear test site into a thriving marine sanctuary. Internally, the design had to balance memorialization and ecological regeneration while respecting the site's tragic history. Externally, obstacles included data limitations on long-term radiation effects, marine ecosystem recovery rates, and legal restrictions on site intervention. Overcoming these required interdisciplinary research and innovative material solutions.
Research: Silent Currents is based on environmental and architectural research exploring post-nuclear site restoration. The objective was to rebuild marine ecosystems while creating a meaningful memorial. Methods included marine biology studies, site mapping, and material testing for reef structures. Data from oceanographers, ecologists, and engineers informed the design. Findings show artificial reefs accelerate biodiversity recovery, influencing sustainable restoration strategies and conservation policies.
Inspiration: Silent Currents is inspired by the devastating impact of nuclear testing on marine ecosystems and the urgent need for ecological restoration. The project reimagines a test site as a marine sanctuary, blending memorialization with environmental renewal. Drawing from research on coral rehabilitation, artificial reef technology, and tidal energy, it introduces submerged structures that support biodiversity while serving as a living monument to resilience and transformation.
Project Duration: Feburary 2025 Pacific Ocean
Operation Flow: Silent Currents invites visitors to experience marine restoration firsthand through floating observation decks and submerged pathways that offer a close view of regenerating ecosystems. Over time, the artificial reef structures become thriving habitats, transforming a once-devastated site into a sanctuary for marine life. The integration of tidal energy systems ensures sustainability, making the site both a memorial and a living example of environmental renewal.
Patents: Yanci Chen, Jing Chen
Team Members: Yanci Chen, Jing Chen
Image Credits: Yanci Chen, Jing Chen