Back in September I had the opportunity to hear Michael Arad
speak about his experiences designing the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. I was
most struck by how emotional and personal the design was for him. His initial
idea for the project, to have two empty spaces in the shape of the towers being
perpetually filled with water, came unbidden to him after witnessing the towers
fall from the roof of his apartment building. This is in contrast with many
memorials (and most architecture) which are a very deliberate design acts as
opposed to a profound emotional response.
The memorial consists of a public park space with the two cavities
occupying where the two towers once stood. In the center in each collecting
pool is a square drain that disappears into darkness. This simple design invites
multiple interpretations: about the passing of water and time, the meaning of
the union of many streams to form one flow, etc. Above all else it is about
anomie and mourning; the acute sense of absence and the meditation upon that
absence. The pools are lined with plaques listing the dead: the list reminds us
what we are looking at just as much as who we are missing.
The idea of mourning is more than just grief. It can imply a
remembrance, even a transportation, to the past. The memorial itself attempts
to provide a tranquil medium or a profound stimulus for this act. However, the
memorial itself is surrounded by a context that is firmly rooted in its time
and place. Reservations and tickets are mandatory, security and electronic
surveillance are heavy, and everything is still under construction. The
memorial aims to be an oasis of perpetual mourning though the act of entering
it and leaving it will always firmly remind visitors of our post-9/11 world.
Photo Study 1: 9/11 Memorial
Photo Study 2: 9/11 Memorial
Photo Study 3: 9/11 Memorial
Photo Study 4: 9/11 Memorial
Photo Study 5: 9/11 Memorial
