STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: August 19, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Nancy Hunt-Coffey, City Manager
Subject: Recommended Design by the 10/7 Permanent Memorial Ad Hoc Committee as well as Recommendation for the 10/5
Groundbreaking Ceremony
Attachments: 1. Short Story of the Piece
2. Final Design Package of 40 Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory by Archillusion Design Studio/C.I.
Form
INTRODUCTION
The October 7th Permanent Memorial Ad Hoc Committee (Committee), comprised of Mayor Nazarian and Vice Mayor Mirisch, has met four times to interview designers/artists/architects with the goal of selecting a design for the October 7th Permanent Memorial. After careful consideration, the Committee recommends to the City Council the selection of 40 Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory by Archillusion Design Studio/C.I. Form.
Additionally, the City Council ad hoc members discussed the scope and scale of the October 5, 2025 Groundbreaking Ceremony. The ad hoc’s recommendation for the program is discussed below.
DISCUSSION
The City Council has been steadfast in its support of Israel and the creation of a permanent memorial dedicated to the hundreds of victims from numerous countries from the brutal attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Toward this end an ad hoc was created (initially comprised of then Mayor Friedman and Vice Mayor Nazarian) to develop the parameters of the memorial. These parameters were shared with and approved by the full City Council.
For example, the Council approved the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking artists and designers to create the memorial. Additionally, the Council established an advisory committee to review the responses to the RFP. The Committee is comprised of Mayor Nazarian, Vice Mayor Mirisch, 5 community members (Pamela Beck, Dr. Julian Gold, Pouya Abdi, Rabbi Pini Dunner and Laura Stein), two technical advisers (Jordana Yechiel and Lior Sasson) as well as staff from various City departments.
The Committee has met on four occasions to review the RFP responses. 25 total responses were received. Staff narrowed the number to 8 responses, although the Committee was encouraged to review the remaining proposals. The Committee considered these proposals and narrowed the field to 5 designers/artists who were Meeting Date: August 19, 2025
interviewed by the Committee. The Committee then narrowed the field to 3 proposals and provided feedback and questions to each group who again presented to the Committee.
The Committee met and interviewed the 3 respondents and narrowed the field to 2 respondents, again providing feedback and questions. The Committee interviewed the two finalists on August 14, 2025 and recommend the selection of 40 Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory by Archillusion Design Studio/C.I. Form. The Committee feels that the design respectfully memorializes the lives lost while conveying a spirit of resilience.
It should be noted that originally a two phased approach was recommended where a group of finalists would be selected to develop their concepts to a greater degree; however, the Committee feels that a second phase is not needed at this time.
The City Council ad hoc also discussed a proposed program for the memorial groundbreaking ceremony which will occur on October 5, 2025. The ad hoc recommends a setup like the City’s annual 9/11 ceremony; however, they expect a substantially larger crowd. The 400 block of Rexford Drive would be closed, and a stage, a podium and chairs would be set up. With the expectation of a larger crowd, the ad hoc recommends additional chairs, a “standing room only” section, and potentially seats set up in one of the Fire Department bays. The event would include speeches and music. Speakers would include the Mayor, the Israeli Consul General, potentially a hostage and a survivor of 10/7, and representatives from Archillusion Design Studio/C.I. Form would say a few words (should they be selected by the full City Council). The National Anthem and other songs would be performed. Rabbis and clergy from local religious institutions would say a non-religious invocation. Flags, similar in size to those in Beverly Gardens Park, would be displayed with one for each country that lost lives on 10/7. The design for the memorial would be unveiled at the event and attendees would be able to donate toward the memorial, should they desire. The Council and other dignitaries would then break ground at the site.
Based on preliminary feedback from Beverly Hills Police Department, it is recommended that the attendees register and RSVP for the event. Additionally, BHPD recommends that attendees pass through controlled entry points with metal detectors and bag checks.
Finally, staff does not recommend providing food at the event, but water stations would be available.
Should this preliminary program and run of show be approved by the City Council, staff will return to the Council with any related budgetary impacts (e.g. additional security, etc.)
FISCAL IMPACT
The Archillusion Design Studio/C.I. Form team currently estimates the “all in” cost of the memorial to be approximately $1.5 million. However, it should be noted that a final budget cannot be determined until formal drawings are prepared and bid (if needed).
The City Council has approved $500,000 of City funds to be used toward the permanent memorial. The October 7th Permanent Memorial ad hoc has met and will meet again to discuss raising additional funds for the memorial. Once the fundraising program has been finalized, it will be brought to the City Council for approval. The Beverly Hills Community Charitable Foundation will play a role in fundraising and accepting donated funds. It should be noted that the Community Charitable Foundation has already received donations and commitments toward the creation of the Memorial.
Related to the groundbreaking ceremony, once Council has provided direction on the program, staff will return to Council should there be budgetary impacts.
Meeting Date: August 19, 2025
RECOMMENDATION
The October 7th Permanent Memorial Ad Hoc and Committee recommend that the full City Council approve the Committee’s selection of 40 Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory by Archillusion Design Studio/C.I. Form as the design for the Permanent October 7th Memorial. Additionally, the ad hoc recommends the City Council approve the groundbreaking scope and run of show as described above.
Nancy Hunt-Coffey
City Manager
Approved By
Attachment 1
Short Story of the Piece
Forty Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory is a sculpturaltribute to resilience, remembrance, and spiritual ascent. Its spiral form symbolizes the connection between earth and sky, body and soul.Rising to a height of 23 feet, marking the year of the tragedy, itssteps trace the weeks of the year. The first forty remain whole and ordered, carrying the timeline to early October; then the form fractures, symbolizing the shattering of peace and transforming intoan eternal light that represents a memory that never fades.Each step holds custom-stained glass, crafted by melting glass andsand gathered from Israel, which glows softly after dusk. Together, the illuminated steps ascend toward a single, unwavering light at the summit.
At the base, a circular basin serves as a calendar of months. Flowing water touches words etched in Hebrew into concrete mixed with soil and gravel from Israel. This stream becomes an endless river of tears, agesture of both grief and ritual purification.
Attachment 2
PROPOSAL VERSION 05 | AUGUST 14, 2025 | 9:15 AM
CONTENT
CONTACT INFORMATION 03
PROJECT DESCRIPTION 04
PROPOSED CONCEPT VISUALIZATIONS 05-20
SECTIONAL DRAWING 21
TEAM & CONTACT INFORMATION
Memorial Designer/Artist:
ART NESTERENKO
Design Studio and Fabrication:
ARCHILLUSION DESIGN STUDIO / C.I.FORM
Architecture, Art & Fabrication
Contact Team:
LOS ANGELES, CA
Name: Art Nesterenko
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +1 818 497 0256
KYIV, UKRAINE
Name: Andrey Aksonov
E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +38 093 497 7992
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Forty Steps to the Sky: A Memorial of Light and Memory
The spiral form of the memorial is a metaphor for the Jewish people’s ancient relationship with ascent, both physical and spiritual. The staircase recalls Jacob’s ladder, a sacred bridge between earth and heaven, body and soul. Here, the steps rise as a testament to lives once firmly rooted in the tangible world. This is not merely a sculpture—it is a story. Every detail carries meaning, revealed to those who pause to see.
At its base lies a circular basin designed as a calendar. Twelve smooth steel plates divide the foundation, like the twelve months of the year.
The structure’s height 23 feet marks the year of the tragedy. The steps above represent weeks, aligned with the months below. The first forty flawless steps mark the passage of time to the month of October. Then, beginning on October 7, the form fractures. Order gives way to disruption.
The steps warp and twist, transforming into the shape of a light, its torn edges evoking the shattering of commandments and the unraveling of peace.
At dusk, the memorial becomes a procession of light. Each step is fitted with a slender band of custom-stained glass cast by melting glass and sand gathered from the site in Israel that diffuses a soft, inward glow. The illuminated sequence rises toward the summit, where a single, unwavering eternal light burns.
The sculpture is crafted by hand, forged from brushed steel, each small piece welded together to form a whole. This fragmented unity reflects the many families torn apart, yet forever bound, by tragedy. A concealed structural spine anchors the spiral and carries the cabling that feeds the lights in the steps and the flame above, keeping technology quiet so the meaning can speak.
Encircling the memorial is a curved wall that bears its own truth.
Thousands of names are embedded in concrete mixed with sand, soil, and gravel from Israel, the very ground where the tragedy occurred. Along the inner edge of the basin, a slow, continuous stream of water flows toward the spiral’s center. The names of the victims are sandblasted in Hebrew; as the water touches them, it becomes a quiet river of grief—an eternal stream of tears. This gentle movement echoes ritual purification and laments without words. The basin seems to weep, its sorrow winding its way inward. Visitors walk the perimeter to read, reflect, and remember.
Thus, the spiral becomes more than a stair. It is a procession of light.
The souls of the victims are not only lifted skyward; they remain present here—honored in every step that shines, every name that is read, every drop that flows.
When night falls, the memorial glows not with the warmth of Shabbat candles, but with the steady, unwavering flame of remembrance. Memory lives here in the cold resilience of steel, in names carved into stone, in the water that flows like tears, and in the light that refuses to fade.
This is not simply a monument to what was lost. It is a place that teaches us how to endure.
Forty steps mark the journey from then to now.
The last step is not an end, but the beginning of how we carry the light forward.
Top View - Full Site - Day Time Visualization Page 5 of 21
History and Dedication Panels:
Positioned at both street-facing edges of the site,
these landscaped areas include engraved panels with
background information, donor recognition, and the
history of the memorial.
04 04
04 01
06 06 06
06 02
05 05
05 05
03 03
Concrete Benches:
Curving from the central memorial circle, these
concrete forms follow the site’s terrain, offering
informal seating and revealing subtle inscriptions
that invite reflection.
05 Accessible Entrances:
The site includes four entry points. Three are
gently sloped for universal access, while one uses
steps due to elevation changes. Integrated lighting
ensures safe and inviting entry after dark.
06 Memorial Wall of Names:
A curved concrete wall engraved with the memorial’s
title and victims’ names, placed behind the
sculpture for lasting visibility. Made with gravel
and sand from the Israeli site, its sanded surface
reveals these materials—creating both a memorial
and a tangible link to the land where the tragedy
occurred.
01 The Memorial and Reflecting Basin:
The heart of the site. A rising spiral staircase
surrounds a circular basin that functions as a
calendar and remembrance space. The fractured steps
and candle-like form symbolize loss and spiritual
ascent.
02 Stainless Steel Benches:
Located on both sides of the memorial, these
sculptural benches echo the form of main structure.
Each includes subtle lighting for evening hours,
offering places to rest and reflect.
03 ANNOTATED SITE PLAN
Top View - Full Site - Night Time Visualization Page 7 of 21 Front View - Day Time Visualization Page 8 of 21
Front View - Night Time Visualization Page 9 of 21
Closeup Detail - Day Time & Night Time Visualization Page 10 of 21 Top View - Core Structure - Day Time Visualization Page 11 of 21 Top View - Core Structure - Night Time Visualization Page 12 of 21 Top View - Basin Details - Day Time Visualization Page 13 of 21 Top View - Basin Details - Night Time Visualization Page 14 of 21 Top View - Dedication Panel - Day Time Visualization Page 15 of 21 Top View - Dedication Panel - Night Time Visualization Page 16 of 21 Top View - Bench - Day Time Visualization Page 17 of 21 Top View - Bench - Night Time Visualization Page 18 of 21 Top View - Garden Side Entry Steps - Day Time Visualization Page 19 of 21 Top View - Garden Side Entry Steps - Night Time Visualization Page 20 of 21
SECTIONAL DRAWING
GSPublisherVersion 0.0.100.100
WATER PUMP
BURTON WAY WALKWAY
EXISTING TERRAIN
±0'-0"
+4'-0"
+6'-9"
+11'-6"
+23'-0"
-3'-10"
HANDRAILS HIGHEST POINT
TERRAIN HIGHEST POINT
+8'-0" THE WALL HIGHEST POINT
SCULPTURE HANDRAIL
SCULPTURE TOP POINT