Situated in the hexagonal structure that overlooks Eisenhower Plaza, the Hall of Remembrance is a simple, solemn space designed for public ceremonies and individual reflection. The walls encircle an eternal flame and are inscribed with the names of concentration and death camps.
Diffused sunlight illuminates the Hall as it passes through the translucent glass of a center skylight. The floor is red granite, spattered and cracked by natural fissures. Narrow openings on the side walls let in additional light and provide partial views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.
Rose window in the ceiling of the Hall of Remembrance. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Jeff Goldberg
Visitors may light memorial candles in the Hall, a universal symbol of renewed life and an act of remembrance in many cultures.
The eternal flame burns before an inscription from Deuteronomy on the responsibility of memory:
Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children, and to your children's children.
