Hello,

I just happened across this discussion and thought I would post some brief
comments about the project.

The origin of this design proposal was a math problem unrelated to the WTC
memorial. In early 2002, I was curious if it was possible to shape an
object so that, when viewed from a specific distance, it would appear to be
infinitely tall. I worked out a solution for this and set this aside. Only
later did it occur to me that infinity might be an appropriate theme for
the Sept 11th memorial. Infinity can work as a metaphor for many things:
eternity, death, the future.

I was in New York City on March 11th, 2002 when they lit up the Tribute in
Light. This temporary memorial consisted of two square beams of light, one
for each tower. What impressed me most about the Tribute in Light was the
way it invited people to look up, and how people read the memorial
differently. Some saw it as a ghost of the Twin Towers, others as souls
ascending, others as a beacon of sorts. It didn't tell you how you were
supposed to feel. It just reminded you of what was there, and of the
magnitude of what happened there.

I wanted to do something similar with our design. I wanted the memorial to
be a physical memory of what happened, but also abstract enough that it
would be relevant to future visitors. I've talked to many people who either
lost loved ones or witnessed the attacks in person, most of whom thought
the memorial's main purpose should be to speak to future viewers. If
September 11th taught us anything, it is that our inventions can be turned
upon us. Where will we be in 50 or 100 years when people are messing with
DNA the way they mess with software today? The paradox we face is that as
technology grows more powerful, the risk grows that a small group of people
or even an individual can cause a catastrophe, by accident or malice. What
if the next Unabomber is a geneticist (we had a close call two years ago
with the anthrax mailer)?. This risk will only increase as technology
becomes more potent and accessible, and there may not be much we can do
about it.

This theme drove the rest of the design, hence the juxtaposition of the
spire with the randomly arranged headstones. This was intended to be read
in two ways, in the present as a physical memory of what happened, and in
the future as a reminder of the danger we face. Of course, this wasn't the
message the jury was looking for, as it was not shortlisted. That's fine,
the design wasn't an attempt at second-guessing the jury. It is what it is,
and it wasn't what they were looking for this time. As Gilles mentioned, we
mainly wanted the design to be an object of discussion.

So thank you for taking time to look at the proposal, and for taking time to
write in with comments.

Brian McConnell, lead designer

PS - A general criticism of the design (and vertical designs in general) is
that it is impractical, too tall, etc. Two of America's best known
memorials, the Washington Monument, and the St Louis Arch (a memorial of
America's westward expansion) were considered engineering marvels in their
day. An important consideration for the 9/11 memorial is that it is
surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers which will make a street level
memorial invisible to everyone except for visitors. The Tribute in Light
was popular because it was a landmark that was visible from great
distances, and because it invited people to look to the sky (an important
consideration for families who may not want to fight through throngs of
tourists). In the long term, 9/11 will become a historical event that will
be largely forgotten. Hard to imagine now, but 3,000 people died on 9/11,
millions died in World War II. Ask most young people what they know about
WWII, probably very little. Another reason why it demands a memorial that
will not allow the event to be forgotten so easily.

FWIW, they should wait a few years before they commit to building something.
With time it will become clearer what is the best way to approach the
memorial. The best idea I have heard to date is to turn the entire area
where the two towers stood, including the slurry wall, into a park and
temporary memorial. Preserve the space, and consider a permanent memorial
no sooner than 2006.

Post a reply to this message