In one short moment 298 people lost their lives. Bereaveds are left with the memory of their lives and a gaping hole in our hearts. In mourning it is up to us to celebrate their lives, mourn the lost and look to the future.

Within the MH17 memorial park lays the memorial route. Along this route the three themes - celebrating life, mourning the lost, looking to the future - are expressed in three different elements.

The wide and up-going volume of the arching bridge reflects life, going forward from one place to another. It reflects the anticipation the victims probably felt during the beginning of their long-expected travels. To emphasize the meaning of the bridge it is constructed from a natural, living material: wood. The sudden stop of the bridge at the start of the passage confronts us with the sudden crash of MH17. The harsh straight shape cuts as an open wound through the park. Walking below park level, the visitors can read the names and ages of the victims in the cast concrete walls. The same wooden slats that were used for the bridge are used for the casting of these walls, their imprint reflecting the imprint that life left behind.

At the end of the passage the pier reaches out over the river the IJ. Looking out across the water, boats gliding by, the visitor can have a peaceful moment, trying to give loss a place and look to the future. Finally a stairway will lead the visitor back up, ascending into the park.