B+P Presents 30% Design Milestone for the Pulse Memorial

On March 5, Borrelli + Partners, together with the City of Orlando, Gomez Construction, and Local Projects, shared the 30% design update for the permanent Pulse Memorial.

Jorge Borrelli and Dan-Michael Trbovich of Borrelli + Partners with Nico Guillin and Amanda White of Local Projects.

At Borrelli + Partners, we believe architecture can create spaces that honor memory, support healing, and bring communities together. Our team recently participated in this milestone presentation, sharing continued progress toward a memorial that respectfully honors the 49 lives lost and the many individuals, families, and community members forever impacted by the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.

As the design continues to evolve, the process remains grounded in thoughtful storytelling, sensitivity to the significance of the site, and a commitment to creating a space that reflects both remembrance and resilience.

Jorge Borrelli, Principal at B+P, shares the memorial’s orientation on the site and its relationship to surrounding streets and geography.

The 30% design phase represents a key moment in translating early ideas into a more refined and coordinated vision. During the presentation, the design team shared updates that further develop how visitors will experience the memorial, carefully considering how people approach the site, move through the space, and engage with moments of reflection along the way. The evolving design seeks to balance landscape, memory, and place, creating an environment that encourages contemplation while honoring the stories connected to the site.

"What we wanted to provide was an opportunity to view a new day and a new beginning for our city and for ourselves," said Dan-Michael Trbovich, Senior Associate with B+P and Lead Architect on the project. He added, "This tragedy took more than lives. It harmed people who survived, deeply, deeply affected their lives."

Dan-Michael Trbovich, Architect-of-Record, presents the 3,500 square-foot Visitor Pavilion, a space designed to welcome guests and provide context for the memorial.

Renderings shared during the presentation illustrate how the memorial’s landscape and pathways guide visitors through a series of contemplative spaces. The design highlights the preserved footprint of the original Pulse building, creating a focal point of remembrance while surrounding the site with gardens, gathering areas, and quiet moments for reflection. Water, light, and landscape elements are thoughtfully integrated to create an environment that invites visitors to pause, remember, and honor the lives connected to the site.

Plans thoughtfully preserve elements of the original Pulse site, incorporating materials from the building and placing a portion of the nightclub’s dance floor beneath the reflection pool. This symbolic connection between dance and reflection ensures the 49 angels are remembered everywhere and in every step taken throughout the memorial.

Aerial rendering illustrating several key elements of the memorial design, including the Fountain Wall, Reflecting Pool, Survivor’s Wall, and Obelisk.

Rendering of the Angel Ellipse at the Pulse Memorial, illustrating how each angel will be individually recognized within a shared gathering space.

Private Gathering area rendering, designed for quiet reflection and connection.

Jorge A. Borrelli noted that the design includes a Survivors Common, a green space with a survivor’s tree adjacent to the Visitor’s Plaza.

"We want to consider a tree that not only is visually striking but deeply symbolic so we're considering the olive tree as this particular survivor's tree. Olive trees throughout history and culturally have represented many symbolic images; some of them are peace and reconciliation. The symbol of the olive branches have always been a symbol of peace and truce. It also represents endurance and resilience. Olive trees can live for centuries even in very harsh conditions. They represent perseverance and renewal. We believe that this is a significant nod to the memorial and deeply connected based on the symbology of this tree," Jorge said.

Survivors Common area rendering, featuring the olive tree representative of the survivor's tree.

Community input played a critical role in shaping the foundation of the memorial’s design during the early stages of the process. Feedback from families, survivors, and members of the broader community helped inform the guiding principles and direction of the project. While the 30% presentation focused primarily on design development and refinement, that early input continues to influence how the memorial is taking shape as the project moves forward.

Jorge Borrelli and Dan-Michael Trbovich speak with members of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee following the 30% design presentation.

For our team at Borrelli + Partners, contributing to the Pulse Memorial is both a professional responsibility and a profound privilege. The project represents more than a physical space; it is a lasting tribute to the lives remembered and to the resilience and unity of the Orlando community.

Rendering of Prism Plaza at the Pulse Memorial, featuring the flags of the angels’ countries of origin, honoring the diversity of the community lost on Latin Night.

To learn more about the memorial’s progress, you can view the full 30% design presentation and watch the recorded presentation video on the Pulse Memorial website: https://www.pulseorlando.org/Memorial/Memorial-Process