9/11 Memorial
9/11 Memorial
Tragedy struck our nation in New York City on September 11th, 2001. That September morning was much like any other until 8:46 a.m., when terrorists, with links to al-Qaeda, flew two planes into the World Trade Center and killed thousands of American citizens. This day would forever be known as 9/11. Amid the destruction and confusion, there was an emerging controversy about how our nation would respond to the attacks. An international competition was held to design a memorial for the fallen and a memorial was established to honor the lives of the dead. The design process and the design of the 9/11 memorial affected and included many different groups including the architect himself.
Design/ Design Process
Michael Arad, a previously unknown architect, was the winner of the contest to determine who was to design the 9/11 memorial. Until Arad, the winner of the 2004 design competition, reduced the budget costs, he could not be officially named as the designer of the memorial. By 2006, the estimated cost of the memorial was close to a billion dollars and the project seemed to be spinning out of control. The budget was eventually decreased to about 700 million dollars and after a prolonged wait, the memorial opened on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 (Loos). His memorial is simple yet elegant; it consists of two huge fountains with flowing water set into an empty plaza. The two large fountains are located at the footprints of the twin towers and are sunken thirty feet into the ground. Rushing water pours down all the sides of the fountains and vanishes into a center square-shaped hole. The noise of this rushing water becomes louder and louder until it is a steady sound; the sound of the water completely drowns out the noise of the city and allows the viewer to interact with the site because they can no longer hear the outside world. The thirty foot deep reflecting waterfall immediately captures the viewer’s attention, bringing them closer to the memorial in
Tragedy struck our nation in New York City on September 11th, 2001. That September morning was much like any other until 8:46 a.m., when terrorists, with links to al-Qaeda, flew two planes into the World Trade Center and killed thousands of American citizens. This day would forever be known as 9/11. Amid the destruction and confusion, there was an emerging controversy about how our nation would respond to the attacks. An international competition was held to design a memorial for the fallen and a memorial was established to honor the lives of the dead. The design process and the design of the 9/11 memorial affected and included many different groups including the architect himself.
Design/ Design Process
Michael Arad, a previously unknown architect, was the winner of the contest to determine who was to design the 9/11 memorial. Until Arad, the winner of the 2004 design competition, reduced the budget costs, he could not be officially named as the designer of the memorial. By 2006, the estimated cost of the memorial was close to a billion dollars and the project seemed to be spinning out of control. The budget was eventually decreased to about 700 million dollars and after a prolonged wait, the memorial opened on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 (Loos). His memorial is simple yet elegant; it consists of two huge fountains with flowing water set into an empty plaza. The two large fountains are located at the footprints of the twin towers and are sunken thirty feet into the ground. Rushing water pours down all the sides of the fountains and vanishes into a center square-shaped hole. The noise of this rushing water becomes louder and louder until it is a steady sound; the sound of the water completely drowns out the noise of the city and allows the viewer to interact with the site because they can no longer hear the outside world. The thirty foot deep reflecting waterfall immediately captures the viewer’s attention, bringing them closer to the memorial in
Cited: Davidson, Justin. “Memorial- Affecting remembrance or adornment for real estate? A review.” New York Art. New York Magazine, n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. Fractenburg, Ben. “World Trade Center Sphere Must be Moved to 9/11 Memorial, Downtown Residents Say.” New York Neighborhood News. DNAinfo, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Krauthammer, Charles. “9/11 was an act of war.” Town Hall Columnists. TownHall.com, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Loos, Ted. “Architect and 9/11 Memorial Both Evolved Over the Years.” New York Times. The New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Peltz, Jennifer. “9/11 Anniversary: Politicians Barred From Speaking, But Can Ceremony Remain Without Politics?” New York Huff Post. The Huffington Post, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Solomon, Deborah. “Art/ Architecture; From the Rubble, Ideas for Rebirth.” New York Times. The New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.