Last week Zaha Hadid unveiled plans for a new complex in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, which will house an educational institution and a genocide memorial. Founded by human-rights activist Youk Chhang, the Sleuk Rith Institute seeks to enlighten the public about the atrocities suffered at the hands of Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime and to provide resources for education and research aimed at preventing genocide.

Hadid plans to fuse modern and traditional Asian design to embody the institute’s mission of reflecting on the past while creating a brighter future. The interlocking beams that support the buildings were inspired by the complex geometric forms of Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat temple. The beams’ graceful arches create soaring vaulted ceilings and upward-reaching exteriors, reflected in the surrounding pools.

The five-building campus will comprise a museum, research center, graduate school, archives, and library, enveloped by more than 731,000 square feet of memorial parkland. Each building will be constructed from sustainably sourced timber and specially designed to withstand the region’s tropical climate while expending as little energy as possible.

Construction on the complex is slated to begin in 2015.