Atelier Eyster Architecture Awarded Second Place in Beverly Hills October 7 Memorial Design Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Light Shared Between Us” pairs a solar-aligned weathering-steel name-blade with a living field of 1,200 olive saplings
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Aug. 15, 2025 — Atelier Eyster Architecture announced today that Principal Jeffrey J. Eyster, AIA has been awarded Second Place in the City of Beverly Hills’ permanent October 7 Memorial design competition and recognized with a City honorarium. Eyster presented his proposal, Light Shared Between Us, to the October 7 Memorial Committee during multiple committee presentations at the Beverly Hills Civic Center.
Planned for the south garden of the Beverly Hills Public Library at 444 N. Rexford Drive, the proposal commemorates the victims of the October 7, 2023 terror attack through a precise interplay of light, time, and landscape. At its heart stands a weathering-steel “name-blade”—a 5-inch-thick, 9-foot-tall plate with the victims’ names cut through—solar-calibrated to the sun bridge, an approximately 86-minute overlap each October 7 between dusk in Israel and dawn in California. During this window, the sun’s azimuth and altitude in Beverly Hills align with the blade so that direct light threads the cut letterforms, illuminating the names as living light. A field of 1,200 olive saplings symbolizes life, continuity, and kindness, offering a contemplative counterpoint to the steel’s permanence.
“The memorial’s task is to carry truth across time,” said Jeffrey J. Eyster, AIA, principal of Atelier Eyster Architecture. “We shaped a place where light itself reads the names—where remembrance is not only seen but felt—and where a living grove quietly asserts that life endures.”
Key elements of Light Shared Between Us include:
Solar-aligned name-blade: A durable, low-maintenance weathering-steel plate, precisely oriented so the names glow with sunlight on October 7.
Living grove: 1,200 olive saplings (Little Ollies) forming a gentle topography of life and care—drought-tolerant, easily maintained, and symbolically resonant.
Clear civic sequence: An accessible, shaded procession aligned with public sightlines, designed for both everyday reflection and ceremonial gatherings.
Contextual fit: A quiet, respectful presence in dialogue with the nearby 9/11 Memorial, enhancing the Civic Center without overpowering it.
Stewardship & security: Robust materials, passive visibility, and simple maintenance strategies appropriate to a high-profile public setting.
“This is a memorial that invites return,” Eyster added. “Names, light, and olives—together they create a rhythm through the year and a touchstone for shared civic memory.”
About the Competition
The City of Beverly Hills conducted a multi-stage review to create a permanent October 7 Memorial at the Civic Center, including committee interviews and finalist presentations.
About Atelier Eyster Architecture
Atelier Eyster Architecture (æ) is a Los Angeles–based practice led by Jeffrey J. Eyster, AIA, focused on enduring and resilient works that fuse science and art into iconic architecture. The studio’s projects pursue elegant solutions where a single design move can solve many needs—functional, symbolic, and human.
Memorial Project Website: aearchitect.com/october-7th-memorial
Media Contact: info@aeala.com
Images & Materials: High-resolution renderings, drawings, and a design brief for Light Shared Between Us are available upon request.