Tag Archives: reflecting absence

9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site

9/11 Memorial Designer Reflects on Design As It Nears Completion

9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Site
Illustration of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. (Credit: Renewnyc.com)

In 2003, architect Michael Arad was just one of 5,201 entrants in a pool of designers that spanned six continents, 49 states and 63 nations. These visionaries were vying for the chance to design the 9/11 memorial, thanks to a contest launched by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Arad’s design, “Reflecting Absence,” was chosen as the winning memorial and it will come to fruition next September 11, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks and the fall of the Twin Towers. Arad’s design will serve as national memorial of the day, situated right here in Lower Manhattan.

“The weight of history is so heavy here that you just want to get out of the way and let it speak for itself,” Arad told FOX News.  He was an eyewitness to the events that changed life as we know it, which is why his design, which includes two massive waterfalls filling the footprints of the towers, resonated and was ultimately selected. “I left home and the towers were standing, and I came home and they were gone,” he said.

Arad’s Hudson River-influenced vision is inching closer to actualization, as last week, water was pumped through the structure for the very first time. “To hear the water falling behind me, it’s kind of an incredible soundtrack,” he said. “I’ve been waiting to hear this for years.” The fountains will be framed by panels etched with the names of those lost in the attacks.

Will you visit Ground Zero and Arad’s memorial on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks?