WORLD TRADE CENTER 9/11 MEMORIAL COMPETITION
LOCATION: New York City
The art of memorial-making is one of the greatest challenges for mankind. Culture and society changes yet architecture remains constant. How do we memorialize the tragedy of 9/11 yet create an architecture capturing the essence of history?
The location is New York City, the urban heartbeat of the world. Our solution is a dynamic complimentary structure rising 445ft from ground zero. As a sacred place, we conceptualized the two towers represented by two hands joined together in spiritual reverence, guiding our prayers for those lost in the September 11th tragedy. The monument is reflective of its surroundings, yet timeless in its form to evolve over time. It is a symbol of freedom and transcendence, helping us to understand the meaning of past events and move forward to the future.
Adhering to siting requirements, the memorial preserves access ways around the site and rises above the ground plane to create a processional approach and psychological uplift to its visitors. The memorial shoots skyward reinforcing its tie to the heavens above, yet the visitors first interaction with the memorial are the re-use of the original WTC surviving columns. The columns are reborn, providing the physical strength to support the memorial. Visitors and families can touch the columns and reinforce their emotional draw to the site. The diamond-shaped plan form gives a sense of the large community affected by the tragedy yet provides intimate spaces for quite visitation and contemplation. On the walls are dressed blocks taken from the wreckage of WTC, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Pennsylvania. Individually inscribed with victim’s names and pictures , the blocks are touchable by family and visitors. Adjacent to the main tower are smaller, more intimate spaces to mourn the loss of family members and to mourn the loss of family members, and to mourn the anonymity of the unidentified remains. Both of these spaces engage the liberty wall to reiterate the rebuilding of lives in the aftermath of the tragedy. Within the main space, the elevator leads up to 337 feet above ground zero. As passengers ascend in the glass elevator, daylight streams through windows in multi-colored hues representing the flags of the 92 nations suffering loss in the attacks. At the tower peak, an observation deck cantilevers outwards towards the memorial garden below. The footprints of the two towers are outlined by 3,022 lamps, one for every victim of 9/11 and the 1993 WTC bombing. Amidst the enormity of the city and of time, the memory of the individuals shines upwards.