|
 |
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
closing thought This closing thought has been brought to you by Jack Becker, artistic director of FORECAST Public Artworks, publisher of the national journal Public Art Review: www.publicartreview.org "Given the scale of the WTC/Pentagon tragedy, and the visceral impact it had on the public via the unforgiving media attention, it is not surprising that there is a groundswell of interest in creating some type of memorial. In fact there are numerous efforts already underway to create memorials, both temporary and permanent to commemorate those who died and honor those who saved lives. There are even projects planned for those who helped (and are still helping) clean up and restore the environment. And it is unlikely anyone would try to stop a well meaning artist, such as Michael Townsend, who travels to the Ground Zero site from Providence almost every weekend to create "tape art" portraits of firefighters up on walls around Lower Manhattan. His art project, using easily removable masking tape, is his way of contributing, and expressing his support of those "in the trenches"." But the folks seeking to erect a permanent memorial to honor those killed (in planes, in the WTC, in the Pentagon, etc.) should exercise patience. They are expressing a knee-jerk reaction to the tragedy, which is understandable and human. Without the objectivity that is only afforded by time, any significant memorial built in the next decade will likely be lacking. The passage of time is a tangible ingredient in memorial planning and design. What we gain from waiting is a hard thing to measure, but it is hard to deny its value. The war on terrorism isn't over yet (in fact, there are some who wonder if it ever will be). How can you sum up the impact? Who decides what is the appropriate response? Who is the audience, and how does it function? For the Capital Mall in DC, there was a 50-year waiting period required before building war memorials. Of course the Vietnam Memorial didn't wait that long (and there were many who were outraged by Maya Lin's minimalist proposal)." There have been four or five major AIDS memorials erected in cities around the world, including San Francisco, Toronto, and Key West, Fla. In most cases the memorials leave room for more names to be added. This has proven to be an administrative challenge, not to mention the challenge to the designer of the memorial. The AIDS Memorial Quilt, a temporary installation sponsored by the NAMES Project of San Francisco, has been unfurled in DC on the Mall - all 70,000 quilts together on the ground. But the Mall is too small now for the entire Quilt, since its size has sadly outgrown the space. Like the Quilt serving those touched by the AIDS epidemic, there is a need to help people deal with the September 11 tragedy. This need will not go away by erecting a permanent structure, so it makes sense to encourage small- and large-scale temporary efforts to allow people a relief valve. This is already evident in the overabundance of flags displayed every which way across the country." Each of us has a need to express ourselves, and, as the AIDS Quilt clearly demonstrates, you don't have to be an artist to participate in a major public art memorial. The more of these thoughtful and creative efforts we can encourage, the better. It is likely that the results of these ephemeral commemorations will help us to know eventually what the permanent memorial should become."
your thoughts Jack Repenning - Santa Clara, CA Jack Becker has exactly captured my feelings. This morning, I received email containing a picture someone had created, portraying a possible memorial. I don't know whether this is some real proposal, or just someone's afternoon in Photoshop, but it's certainly striking: a night-time picture of the city skyline, on an exposure long enough to show colors. The Statue of Liberty rises just right of center, well lit yet sillouhetted by the glare of Times Square. The whole of Manhattan spreads its lights and towers over the horizon. And rising just to the left of center are two pillars of light, reaching up to mark where the two towers of the Trade Center once stood. I'm ambivalent about this image. The events are tragic, and deserve some memorial, certainly. But somehow this particular image seems ... oh, I don't know ... ghoulish, or something. It's not a memorial so much as a ghost. It looms far larger over the city that the towers themselves ever did. It's made of light, and the composition draws the light of the whole skyline into it -- somehow, the vigorous, energetic life that still remains in the city is drawn in and converted to ectoplasm, to fuse into this ghost of what was and will never return. This is not the right memorial, somehow; these are not the right responses -- at least not for a permanent memorial. Picking the right one may require some distance. Inga - Norfolk, England For many, the tragic disaster of September 11 symbolised the west's disregard of poverty in the rest of the world, just as the twin towers themselves symbolised the vulgar ostentacious way in which many of us live. The attacks may have been evil, but who are we to complain about hearts-and bodies-crying out in anguish as their children starve to death. Any memorial had best be comforting, uplifting (glass to walk on covering illuminated water in a plain empty square but for the trees and shade and seats to sit and reflect.) No-one should be named. Endless numbers of people have given their energy and lives over time. Any written memorial should best provoke thoughts on the fact that we are now a world that has to live caring for everyone in it, in a practical, active and unselfish way. That would be the best memorial. Justin Raymer - Gideon, MO As I look through the opinions of the people I see their ignorance as they let culture and/or religion play apart in the construction of the memorial. But some like the open minded Nahid Mahdavi see that the memorial should represent all countries who fell during the 9/11 attacks. This brings to mind the idea of Becca Morgan from Rochester Hills, MI which I think represents the world as a whole during the bombings. Danielle - United Kingdom, England, Sheffield I totally agree with evrething u hav sed, luv ur article. Stephen Royster - Reidsville, NC I'm a Urban planning major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I think they should rebuild the twin towers just as tall as they were or even taller letting the uncivilized world know that we will go on with our lives. But I think a giant transparent apple that changes color throughout the day which symbolizes emotions felt in regards to the tragedy. I think only building a cluster of buildings or just having a garden there is showing defeat. I'm sorry but the people that perished there are gone. We must go on with our lives just as the people of England, Germany, and Japan did. 16 acres in NYC is too precious to waste especially in the financial district which makes it even more valuable. I say rebuild the twin towers but this time do it in a different way for example---Singapore they have the tallest buildings in the world. Also connect the twin buildings with some time of bridge but also in corporate gardens on the proberty. Don't just use the whole 16 acres for a garden... D.G. Lemeh - University Park, PA In my opinion, one of the most prolific artist of the 21st century is Maya Lin. Her ability to touch our lives by expressing through the medium of sculpture the depths of human emotion is profoundly moving. Both the Vietnam Memorial and the MLK, Jr. memorial both speak to her abilities to express the out pouring of human tragedy, however, provide those left behind with some feelings of HOPE! In my opinion, if anyone should be asked to share in the memorializing of this event, then it should be Maya Lin. Tammy - Tampa, FL I think that they should let the kids of new york to come up with ideas then you are let them be apart of something that was such a tradegy that you are letting them rebuild themselves. Plus gives them feel of accomplishment to remember their loves one. Carol LeBaron - Elizabethton, TN I believe that the items recovered and brought to Fishkill should be used and recycled in whatever is built at the Trade Center, as found object/art/utilitarian sculpture/space. It should be a place of use as well as retreat, a place of beauty and hope as well as a reminder. I don't think we should make the mistake of something slick and corporate. Incorporate the broken Rodins, the twisted fire engines... Aaron Collins - Burbank, CA The most poignant memorial would be integrated into space that is reclaimed, re-vitalized, and above all, functional according to its original purpose. Had I been a victim, I would have resented turning excessive space over to any memorial: Use of this site should NOT be redetermined as a result of terrorist acts. Integrate this memorial into a useable facility. Dave - Duluth, MN The memorial could be two towers of the same height as the old ones, only shells, made of steel and plexiglas, and an elevator or elevators would carry you up to the floors where the planes hit and the memorial would be on those floors. Lighting and a chapel would be there and the spirit of the the towers would live on for all to see. Emily - Corpus Christi, TX I loved the two lights that were placed on the site of the World Trade centers. It was perfect and added a beautiful touch to the night sky. Jessica Fish - Chatsworth, CA Having been to Hiroshima and its memorial, I think the WTC memorial should be designed by an artist from New York. I am grateful that the spirit of the event can be expressed through art. I especially like what I've seen done in glass - http://www.glastar.com/gallery/2002/jan2002_panel.html Crystal Brown - Boise, Idaho The World Trade Center Twin Towers should be re-built no matter what the cost. To commemorate the thousands of lives lost in this tragedy, we should build the foundation, and possibly the first level (lobby area) of the new towers from the fallen ones we once knew. Inscribed on the blocks, inside and out, we should place the names of every life taken that day. This will not only commemorate the heros but it will also keep the American spirit of renewal and continuation alive. We must find a way to move on and respectively remember those lives lost that awful day. Jacki - Abington, MA i dont know who should design this but i do think it should not just recognise the firefighters, yes they were heros but you cant tell me that workers in the towers wernt heros, at least one had to turn back to save a friend, a coworker, a loved one. what about the janitors or security guards that died that day. firefighters were not the only ones who lost there lives. thousands of familys lost loved ones who were also just doing there job and were at the wronge place at the wronge time. david o'quin - venice, ca me, david o'quin, i have a design already in mind inspired by the late james lee byars. Terry Raymond - Gideon, Mo The tragedy of 9/11 was shocking to alot of people, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. to say that one person should be responsable for a memorial is a joke to this person. this event brought the U.S. together in brother-hood. artist for this project should do the same. by joining the ideas of all these fine artist will show greater promise for the project. the artist should come together as we have as a nation. it would be stateing something greater than one person could ever say alone. Michael Zachery - grants pass, oregon Yes, I think there should be a memorial. The memorial should commemorate the police and firefighters as heros, but it should also commenorate the civilian people who lost their lives. I have my own idea of a monument for the site, which would depict the souls of the people lost. Thank you for allowing me to make a statement. Olivia - missoula, montana i think there should be a building in the center of that area that is big and beautiful and has every single picture and name of all that passed in that terrible tragedy hung on the walls. I think that that building would allow other building to be built around it and for new york to start becoming new york again, but still have a spot to remember all that happend by a single building that you could walk into any time and see all those faces, names, and families that lost loved ones i think that would be a great memorial. thats just an idea thought! bless you all. much love Heather Swartz - Missoula, Montana I believe that the WTC memorial should not address specific persons but rather all of those who are victims of terrorism everyday. The memorial should represent the fight for tolerance. My personal idea is to perhaps engrave faces of different nationalities into the ground in a circle shape, surrounding the flag found at ground zero. diana - hyannis, ma I think there should be another building put in it's place as a sign to our attackers that we can rebuild and be strong again. I also think a memorial in the first floor or outside that building would be a good memorial. I don't think there is any urgency. I think as a nation and culture we tend to want to do instead of just greive and feel our feelings. This attack has hit everyone hard. I would also want to know what the people who lost loved ones think. It should be there decision and maybe some of them could get together and design a fitting memorial. Ron Haase - Melrose, FL A memorial on the site of the World Trade Center should be etherial and spiritual, not architectural. Space and light. Earth, Water, Fire and Wind. Randy Harrison - Chesapeake VA As one born and raised in Brooklyn I feel that part of the distinct lower parts of the building should in some way be a part of the memorial. I will never forget the impact of the church ruin I saw in the middle of modern rebuilt Berlin Germany. Any artist selected would be able to incorporate this into their concept if they are a visionary. Don't erase the memory of the destruction. The future generations need to see and remember and work to never see this again. Cew - El Reno, OK Yes, a memorial is certainly in order. I live near Oklahoma City and the memorial there has been meaningful and healing in so many ways for everyone. We observe people from all over the world coming to pay respects and honor. And then there is a terrorist center that was developed which gives an entirely new dimension -- studying how to prevent terrorism even before 911. The area has been designated at US Park and this means that all of the US owns and feels it -- not just OKC and OK people. And the surrounding downtown that experienced so much damage is rebuilding some the same some new and life goes on. The man and woman team who designed the OKC memorial have the experience and clearly a compassion for the meaning. Consider them first to do the one in Manhattan or at least lead the team of folks who design it. Life goes on -- but the exact spot where so many people died should be held sacred and used as a place for reflection, remembering, learning, and healing. DJ Shadeaux - Davison, Michigan My dj friends and I was so moved by this tragedy that we developed a cd to support the city of New York and the Red Cross. I did not lose any relatives in the tragedy. However, I do believe I met one victim at my workplace two weeks before she died on the plane that crashed into the first tower. Her name was Tara Creamer. She does not live in Michigan. I cannot prove this but for some strange reason I remember looking at her ID name card. I thought Tara was an unusual name you don't hear everyday. Plus, her last name is Creamer. I wanted a cup of Irish cream coffee really bad that night but I did not get any. Strange but true. (http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/307/new_york_benefit.html) Emma - Shamong, NJ I think that the New York occurence is a terrible but at the same time a beautiful thing. It's terrible in that we are missing many people in a battle that they weren't even apart in, but it shows how strong, supportive, and loving the people of the United States are. Katherine Knetzger I think there should be a sculpture of some kind--A Circle of people holding hands or a peace sign- something signifying world unity for peace Christopher Littleford - Los Angeles, CA There are incredible consequences to be understood with any endeavor as charged as a monument to the WTC disaster. It's an absurd notion to choose an architect by name or celebrity status alone. Maya Lin is without a doubt the foremost in memorial design. She has championed ideas of tangible rememberance. However the beauty of the process of her Vietnam Memorial had as much to do with the democratic apparatus that was set in place as the design itself. The power should lie in the work, we should resist our monumental inpmulses and devote ourselves to a flexibility that will be necessary for coming generations. We cannot erase or replace that which was erased for us. However, we can speak to those citizen's memories and reflections of those they loved and those they lost. Robert Colborne - Attica, IN A sculptural garden filled with abstract sculpture would stimulate tourism and abstract forms could suggest any race, religeon, ethnicity or nation. It would confirm who we are, our culture and our history. The sculpture garden would validate the nation's leadership in art. Jacques Bakke - Lander, Wyoming Twin Towers should be re-built. KL - Cologne, Germany Rebuild the "house ur" of the German artist Gregor Schneider, the winner of the Golden Lion of the Venice Bienal 2002. The house represents the psychological constitutions which make things like the 11th september possible. Don´t take any American artist - it is no time for patriotism. Bruno Stroebl - Oakland, CA It should be a quiet site, devoted to peace and non-violence. I don't believe a physical structure should memorialize the dead. The act of walking up to a monument and reading the epithet and names is too specific a thing/activity; it would serve to exploit the dead. The suicide attacks meant something a little different to everyone. Future visitors to the proposed park should be left to their own emotions; names and dates and monuments just won't do. J.Engle - Pueblo, Colorado I personally think that there should be more than one artist to work on a 9/11 memorial, because it really struck America as a whole, and it cannot be said that any one artist represents America as a whole. It is hard to work with other people, but in order to move on we need to find that ability within ourselves, and I think that the proposed memorial should do that also, show teamwork and American Multiplicity. Carol - Vancouver, British Columbia I love the idea of a large beautiful garden, and the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia immediately come to mind. They were built in a quarry and have come to erase the terrible scars upon the earth made by those early excavations. It will be a difficult task to arrive at the final decision for the memorial. Christopher Kohan, President - The Victor D'Amico Institute of Art I think the World Trade Center Memorial should not be a memorial. The thousands of people who died should be commemorated by two 110 storey buildings, with offices, elevators, restaurants, lounges, bathrooms, shops, the view, etc. The buildings should be rebuilt as they were. The thousands of people who died were simply going about their daily business, as we are doing today. The creation of this "auspicious" monument, should not be a judgment. This is not a war. We are at a loss of thousands. They should have gone back to work the following day. We and those to follow should do the same and commemorate the continuation. Jerry Parmet - Scarsdale, NY Selecting a name artist is not the way to go. To open this opportunity to ALL artists is the democratic way. Why shouldn't everyone that wants to enter his concept be allowed to? Name artists already have made their mark. It's time for a newcomer to be honored. So some sort of competition should be set up, as was the Vietnam memorial which made a name for Maya Lin, and let a distinguished panel select the appropriate piece to suit the selected site. I do believe this memorial should be set central to any and all new buildings erected in the area. I do not agree that the entire site be used just for a memorial. I also believe the memorial should reflect all those that perished in the buildings whether they are firemen, policemen or employees of the firms that had leases in these properties. Our uniformed services have been honored very well. It's now time to honor those who were victims of this tragedy. Theda - Seattle, WA Thank you for your invitation to comment about a memorial to the victims of September 11th. I would not like to see another Twin Towers or other high rise office building. I would love to see a non-political, non-nationalistic memorial park which used art and nature to somehow represent all of the victims and their countries. Noelle Newton - Columbus, OH Please establish somewhere that people can submit formal proposals for the memorial. Although I have great respect for Maya Lin, it is important that others be given the same chance she had. While many of the ideas expressed in this forum are important, it seems foolhardy to propose projects in this format where they could be misunderstood, and possibly copied. If there is somewhere to send proposals, please publish the address. Jessica - Rochester, MI September 11,2001 was a tragic day in our history and will always be remembered. I live in Rochester Hills Michigan and attend Adams high school. I use to live in New York and it really makes me sad that this happened to our country. In my art class we are making a paper sculpture of what we want the memorial to look like. Of coarse I do feel someone who is a famous artist should do the job. I really like the holocaust memorial but I think something more open would be good for 9/11 such as a pool of water with beautiful lights shining down on it at night with flowers and trees from all over the world surrounding it. On the ground there should be a plaque with everyone‚s name and colored picture, and I mean everyone especially the firefighters and police officers that lost their lives to save others. This should have thick glass covering it so people can walk on it. I think that would be beautiful and it would really comfort the families who lost dear ones. But don‚t forget a memorial in Pennsylvania. Dave Fuller - Rochester Hills, MI In our fundamentals of art class, we have been studying monuments. Some of my favorites are the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the recent Fireman Memorial. I find it unfortunate that the Fireman Memorial was not built because of disagreement of ethnicity. Another idea that I liked was the Memory Medallion (www.memorymedallion.com). Using new technology, the medallion would store information about a person. Using your palm pilot, you could find out information about the person simply by waving your wand over the medallion. In our art class, we have been designing monuments for the recent September 11 tragedy. My project borrows from the Vietnam Memorial, and the Fireman Memorial. My idea for a memorial is to honor all of the children who lost parents in the September 11 tragedy. A wall would be built similar to the Vietnam Memorial. All the names of parents of children would be put on that wall. Underneath each name would be a Memory Medallion with information about each parent lost. Kristen Godin - Rochester Hills, Michigan My art class at Rochester Adams high school is in the process of designing and making small models of possible monuments for the World Trade Centers and or the Pentagon. I would like to share my idea with all of you and see what you think. I think there should be circular steps surrounding a large fountain. The steps should be circular because then it would be easily accessible for people coming from any which way. It would make it less crowded also, since people would not have to come in from only one way. The fountain should be beautiful and big, as to not forget about what a tragedy this has been for us all. In the fountain there should be clear, pipe like pointy things with red, white, and blue lights in them to turn on at night. That would make things very pretty and show our American pride. On the sides of the circular steps there should be miniature WTC's with the names of the known people who did not survive this attack engraved in the sides so that all can reflect on the families that have been changed forever. Whatever the monument looks like, and whoever designs it, no matter what the out come we must make it so none would ever forget the day of 9-11. Jessica Noelle Chatman - Rochester, MI Hello. My name is Jessica, and I attend Rochester Adams highschool. They have a great art department. I believe that memorials should be built in the memory of those innocent people who past away. In my art class I am doing the world trade centers crumbling down all into a large hand. This hand might just be any hand to some people But to me it is GOD hand. And what my drawing means to me is that "He's got the whole world in his hand". And that's the most powerful hand in the world. In my art class we looked at some amazing monuments, such as Sadako, and JFK's. I really liked the way the JFK monument had the eternal flames, it really sparked up the drawing. All though I didn't get any ideas from these monuments but I thought they were great. Becca Morgan - Rochester Hills, MI My class is doing a monument design project for the 9/11 tragedy. We have researched many memorials to get some ideas. Some ideas that I thought were good were the eternal flame in Arlington, the water pool at the Oklahoma bombing memorial, and the Vietnam memorial with all the victims names inscribed on the wall. I think the memorial should have 2 platforms with steps leading down to a center with a glass building statue in the center. Because there are two platforms, each represents one of the twin towers. There would be the same number of steps as the number of floors. Victim's names would be inscribed in rows on the steps. In the center of the glass statue would be a eternal flame and on the outside would be a calm water pool. I also think that surrounding the memorial should be flags of the countries that lost people in the 9/11 tragedy. Peter Mikhjian - Rochester Hills, MI My name is Peter. I am in an art class, which is currently studying monuments. We are designing what we think that the September 11th monument should look like. We are supposed to draw a monument we feel should symbolize September 11th, and to build it. In order to do this, we used the Internet to look at other monuments and to see what about them really impresses us. One of my favorite monuments is a monument about the Holocaust. The thing about this monument that caught my eye is the flame. I think flames are very significant in a monument because to me, flames symbolize conquering a hardship. My design for September 11th includes a fountain with a still pool of water to symbolize how the day started out, and a spout of fire on top of the pool of water to show how violently the day ended. The fountain will rest upon a pentagon, representing the plane that hit the pentagon. Around the fountain will be grass and trees to make it a good place for people to visit. I want to turn it into a small park. Lauren Ornazian - Rochester Hills, MI After the events of September 11, 2001, the idea of a memorial has come to mind to many Americans. In my Art class, we have been studying many different types of monuments and are soon ready to create one of our own for the Attack on America. Some of my ideas for my memorial came from the WWII memorial and the holocaust memorial. I liked both of these because of their creativity. My memorial is going to be similar to the eternal burning flame of the holocaust and the JFK memorial. It is an eternal burning flame to represent the souls of the people that past away from the September 11 events. It will be surrounded by a marble base in the shape of a circle with all the names of the people that died imprinted in the marble with gold. My memorial will stand surrounded by a bed of red, white and blue flowers to symbolize the values of America and to show spirit and freedom. Elizabeth Dalton - Rochester Hills, Michigan For the past week, my art class has been coming up with ideas to create a memorial for the September 11th Attacks on America. In order to prepare for this we looked online at many different memorials, such as the JFK Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and memorials for WWII. They were all very nice. They were simple enough but they encompassed what happened so all these years later, people can still look at them and know what happened. After viewing the memorials, it was easy to come up with a memorial for the September 11th Attacks. The memorial I made consisted of two pillars, representing the World Trade Centers. A sign that says, „United We Stand‰ connects them. In between the two pillars is a large structure in the shape of a pentagon to represent the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Each structure has an American flag on it to show the heart at patriotism of America. The memorial that is finally constructed for the September 11th attacks should not be a glitzy memorial. Michelle Paulsell - Rochester Hills, Michigan In my fundamentals of art class we have been designing monuments for the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We have been looking at many different monuments. We have looked at the Holocaust, JFK memorial, the Oklahoma City memorial and memorials for WWII. One thing that I thought was a good idea was in the JFK memorial, there was a flame burning at the edge of the site. It was very symbolic to his family and to his life. At the WWII memorials there were many American flags, this showed that the United States fought in the war and that we still stand today. My memorial is going to be made of all pearl Marble. It will consist of two replicas of the World Trade Center (smaller) surround by the outline of the pentagon. It will have two flat American flags on both sides made of flowers. The top part will have a waterfall surrounded by lights. Surrounding the entire memorial will be a black gate and on the front will read the words "I love New York", and the back will list the names of the people who died. Katier Gill - Rochester, MI Right now I am in fundamental arts and am working on a monument project for the Twin Towers. We have been studying monuments for the past week and now we will be making actual paper monuments. For my monument idea I have been looking on the Internet for other monuments to get ideas on what to do. Monuments that I‚ve seen online is the JFK‚s and I like the stones, Sadako‚s monument in Japan with all the paper cranes. My design includes a beautiful waterfall and a temple monument of the Twin Towers. And a streaming river with flowers. Marshall - Rochester, MI My name is Marshall Stephens and I am a junior from Rochester Adams High School in Rochester, MI. My sixth hour Fundamentals of Art class is designing different ideas for a monument to honor and remember the people killed and their families as a result of the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11th. We have studied several other monuments throughout the United States such as the JFK Memorial, and the Oklahoma City monument. I think that water fountains are a good idea, such as the ones used for the Oklahoma City monument. They are very comforting and would mean a whole lot. My basic idea for the monument is to construct a huge statue of the trade center and surround it with bushes, shrubbery and fountains. It is a very simple concept, and says a whole lot. I feel that it would honor those affected by the attacks. Names could be engraved on the statue as well. A monument is an important thing so that people don‚t forget the past. Stephanie - Rochester, MI I am a student at Adams High School in Rochester Hills, MI. We have been given an assignment to create a monument for the tragedies that happened on September 11th. We have been looking at a variety of other monuments already put up in memory of something or someone. A monument that I found very interesting was the one put up in memory of the Oklahoma City bombing. In my design for the World Trade Center's memorial I decided to put two large, tall blocks of black marble with all the names of those who died engraved into it. The blocks would be representing the World Trade Center. Then in between the two blocks, which would be separated a little would be a waterfall that would then flow into a little pond at the bottom. The pond would have a small island in the center of it with all the flags from the countries where the people were from in the World Trade Center. Lisa Fouladbash - Rochester Hills, Michigan In my art class we have recently been constructing our own versions of what we each think the WTC monument should look like. To accomplish this, I‚ve been studying other monuments for ideas of what to put in my own. I have seen many good ideas, such as reflecting pools, and an ever-burning fire at the Holocaust museum. After much thought, I finally came up with my design; a smaller version of the twin towers, painted in red, white, and blue, for starters. Centered in front would be a smaller pentagon shape with an eternal flame burning in it. An eagle would be flying, own wing on each tower, and its claws would be holding an American flag. I believe a monument somewhat like this one would have a profound effect on anyone who looks at it and would be a creative way to commemorate those who died in 9/11. Jessica Parker - Rochester, MI Hello! The monument I am building is a symbol for September 11th, in my highschool art class.. It is a flag that will have all the people who have died names on it. I have looked at several monuments as examples such as the raising the flag monument, like the men who did so at Iwo Jima and at the world trade center. These gave me the idea for a giant flag. I have looked at several monuments for ideas such as the Sadako Statue in the center of Hiroshima‚s Peace Park. The elements of my design include, a pool of water, a flag made of polished granite, and lots of trees and plants surrounding it. I hope that people will see the symbolism in my monument! Elise Salerno - Rochester Hills, MI Hi, Right now I am in school working on a project for my fundamentals of Arts class in 6th hour. We are studying monuments of people who have died in wars. The project we are working on is designing a monument for the events of September 11. It has to deal with either the Pentagon or the World Trade Centers. I designed a monument for the World Trade Centers. Some of the monuments I saw were very, very creative and interesting. Some of them that I saw were the ones for John F. Kennedy Jr., Vietnam, World War 2, and many other ones. The very creative monuments had flames in the middle, reflecting ponds, statues, sculptures, stones, buildings, Sadako‚s monument with the thousand paper cranes. My monument is a memorial for the people of September 11 in the World Trade Center. I drew a picture of the two buildings and in the middle of it I have three fire fighters joining hands. Then above it, it has a flag and written in the flag it says, "United We Stand." We are building these monuments on paper and making structures. Katie Pittel - Rochester, MI I think at a time where the United States of America faces the threat of war, a monument which honors the people who died in the initial attack is essential. The monument should be simple, nothing too fancy or flashy, but it should be a constant reminder of those who perished in the WTC and Pentagon attacks. We should use some of the debris from the WTC in whatever monument is built as a reminder of the mass destruction that occurred. But it would also symbolize reincarnation, because the rubble and debris was used to create something beautiful. Jessica - Rochester Hills, MI In my art class in Rochester Hills we are doing a project about monuments. Right now we are all designing a monument for the World Trade Center. We all have many great ideas about what we should do. I would love to tell you about mine. First I would like to say I have been looking at other monuments for ideas. I saw many great ones like the J.F.K in Arlington, VA. memorial with the internal flame it was a great idea. My personal favorite is the Oklahoma City memorial of the bombing that happened there. I like how they have a reflecting pool and trees. My favorite part about the memorial is the chairs they have 9 rows of chairs for the 9 floors on the building, then they have little chairs for the little kids that died. So for my design I decided to have a reflecting pool, a big one. Then there will be tile around it, and the pool could over flow over the tile. Then in the middle of the reflecting pond or pool there is an American flag coming out of the water and its at half mass. Andrea - Rochester Hills, MI At my high school, we have been given an assignment to create a monument for the victims of either the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. I have looked at other monuments to get some ideas. I liked the idea of having a water pool, just like the Oklahoma City memorial and also I liked the eternal flame in the John F. Kennedy monument. For my design, I have decided to make a pool of water. On the bottom of the pool will be a piece of glass with all the names of the victims that suffered and died in the World Trade Center attacks. Underneath the glass will be a white light to light up the pool. Inside the edges of the pool will be the flags of all the countries that united during this tragic time. Leading up to the pool will be marble stairs on all four sides of it. A big bouquet of colorful flowers could be in each corner of the stairs. This is my idea for a monument to remember those who innocently suffered. Patrick Farkas - Rochester Hills, MI In my art class, we‚ve been creating models of our own WTC memorials. We had researched other memorials, such as the JFK gravesite, and the Oklahoma City memorial. Popular items include flowing water, and fire. Most memorials used these, as a sign of life. Using ideas like this, and some of our own, we were assigned to design our own. My monument would be simple, but not just a statue or some corny banner. I would start with a basin, 8‚x 8‚ in the shape of a pentagon. Everyone remembers the Trade Center, but not the pentagon. In that basin, I would put two towers, (typical) with water flowing from the top, into the pool. The towers would be made of glass and wood, so you could light the inside, and that‚d be pretty cool. In front of the two towers, just above the water, I would have two memorial flames. A deciduous tree in the background might accent it as well. I don‚t believe that we should put the names of the victims on it, because it wasn‚t an attack on just those people, but an attack on the country, and I don‚t think we could fit all of their names on one statue. Sean - Rochester Hills, MI What happend on September 11, 2001 is a very tragic event that effected people across the world. Due to this event I believe that there should be a memorial built in the memory of those innocent people who died. For an art class I am in we are going to build model memorials that we believe is a great idea. We looked at other monuments for ideas such as the JFK's, Holocaust and Sadako monuments. A great idea that I got from JFK's monument is that they put an eternal flame to represent them. Another idea is that I got when I saw the Firefighter Statue, was reminded me of the American Eagle and what they stood for. Which was to help out are country and people that need help. For my memorial I am having the 2 towers with each and every country's flag that had people that got killed or injured in the WTC attack. Then in the front of these towers there will be a statue of an American Eagle indicating where this event took place and when. Dave Knoph - Rochester Hills, MI I think that the world trade center memorial should express the sorrow felt from the tragedy but also express a feeling of unity. It should symbolize the fact that people came from all over the nation to help in new york city. I think that it is a great human accomplishment and it shows the unity of the united states citizens. It shows that we all care and want to help for a cause. I think that the picture of the three firemen would be a perfect addition to united states monuments. a bronze statue made into the firemen would show unity through the three men raising the flag and show tragedy because the men had just seen something so tragic. Chris Cole - Rochester Hills, MI I am an artist student at Rochester Adams High School in Rochester Hills, MI. My feelings about what should be done at the world trade center our very deep and complex. I our first assignment in my art class was to draw a memorial for either the world trade center or the pentagon. I chose to draw the two towers w/ American flags going down the sides half way and then the #'s 9-11-01 on the other half. I think something should be done at the world trade center to remember and honor those who lost their lives. Dan - Rochester Hills, MI Hello my Name is Dan Martini, I am taking a fundamental art class as a required class to graduate from High school. Our first assignment was to create a memorial on the world trade center. My memorial was a reflecting pool, in the bottom of the pool was a picture of a the world trade center. The idea came from a picture I saw of the Washington monument reflecting in the reflecting pool in Washington DC. the look of coming looking at the world trade center through water was like looking back into time, at the building as it used to be. a look through a clear pool of tranquil water at the building before the abrupt violent end of the building all the lives, and the feeling of security in America. Lauren - Rochester Hills, MI I think a good monument for the September 11th would show something on America ! Like United we stand cause we all had to go through this tragedy and we stood by New York to get through this time cause the way I think of it America is like a Big family and when something happens you stand by your family and we stood together ! I also think it should have the names of the heroes who lost there life to September 11th cause they were the ones who had tried to save those in danger and they lost there life for others ! So the best monument would be representing everyone in America cause we all had to go this and I think this tragedy didn't make us weaker it made us stronger ! If you think about it before the tragedy people just walk around not thinking of anyone else but them self and then when the tragedy hit you saw other people helping each other out ! well that's pretty much it bye Ashley - Rochester Hills, MI I think the best idea to create a World Trade Centers memorial, would be to get many artist to work together, to make the best possible tribute to those lost. They could collaborate their ideas to make the most effective memorial. Then once they have a set plan, and all their ideas together one of the artist could build the monument. Since September 11th, the United States flag, has been the most symbolic of those lost and having pride in our country. Because of this, I think a flag should defiantly be put into the memorial. Christine - Rochester Hills, MI In my opinion, there definitely should be a memorial for the victims of September 11th, but the memorial should not be placed where the World Trade Center was built. It should be in another location yet not too far away. My vision for a memorial is just a simple pavilion built in a public place. This way, all people could enjoy its beauty and remember the tragedy. There should be a stone base to the pavilion to represent the strong foundation on which the United States of America is built, and it should be easily accessed by the public representing how the United States welcomes other cultures. Christine - Rochester Hills, MI I think they should make a monument that reflects the true meaning of all the heroes in American that helped out with September 11, 2001. The heroes would be all the firefighters and police officers that died trying to help and safe others. When my art class made monuments I made one that had the twin towers with an American flag across them. The American flag would be put in with glass like the windows on the building and look like a reflection. Then at the bottom on the bass all the heroes were listed in the stone/marble. It will show all the patriotism in everyone across the nation. Elizabeth - Rochester Hills, MI I think that the best memorial for the World Trade Center event should include a statue of the twin towers. Perhaps around the statues or maybe in tile that makes up the statues, should be names of the people who lost their lives in the event (Like the ones in the Oklahoma memorial.) There should also be something to represent the firemen who saved the people of our nation. I think that a good idea would be to have a reflecting pool, like the one in Washington D.C., but instead of having a monument being reflected in the water we should have a huge American flag being reflected into the water. I think that this would be important because of all of the patriotic acts since the event, which represented our nation. Karl Daniel - Rochester Hills, MI In our art class we are studying about memorials for the tragic event that happened on September 11, 2001. As I sat there thinking about what people could possible do to make a memorial for all the lives taken in this event, I came up with the idea of an everlasting flame similar to the one at the Kennedy site. This memorial will sit upon a brick road. Each of these bricks will symbolize how many people died in the tragic event. The burning flame will burn out of a a stand made out of marble with water around the flame. On the marble there would be placed sayings and memories of people died. One saying on the marble stand would be I am proud to be an American. The other would be United We Stand. These are just some of my idea's of what we the people could do to make a memorial for the NYC tragic event, also along with the Pentagon. Jenny Roll - Rochester Hills, MI I think that a memorial at the world trade center would mean a great deal to many people. There have been many ideas and discussions on this topic already. The famous photograph of the 3 fireman holding up the American flag was a wonderful idea for a monument. However, there as people have viewed this differently. I think that these 3 firefighters should be recognized in this monument. They do not have to be of any race or nationality. It does not matter, we are all Americans. I think that this picture should be used as an idea for a monument. They should be placed on a base that has steps leading up to them. The steps would represent the steps in the world trade center, because sadly many people died trying to escape. I got this idea through a personal experience. A family friend made it out alive just in time going down the stairs. This memorial should have the names of everyone who was lost in this tragedy. It should have an effect on everyone and will mean a great deal to a lot of people. Amanda - Rochester Hills, Michigan I think that the World Trade Center memorial should be designed by the families of those who lost a loved one in this tragedy. On this memorial there should be the names of those who were lost, their occupation and birthday. There should be a reflecting pool for anyone and everyone to think about what had happened and to take it to heart. A WTC memorial should represent the courage, wisdom and pride of the people who lost their lives and for those who helped with the wreckage. The police and fireman worked their hardest and put their lives on the line for their country. We should all be proud of all who have helped. That is why this memorial should be made. Damicah - Rochester Hills, MI The tragedies of September 11 obviously touched everyone very deeply. My idea for a monument would be a good size reflecting pool that had the American flag on the bottom of it. The flag would be blowing in the wind behind the two twin towers. There would be floating water lilies in the pool. In the center there would be an eternal flame, sprouting from the center of a fountain, that represents our undying faith, strength, justice, and liberty as a country; it would represent all those that we lost. Around the perimeter of the pool would be lights that came on at night, the flag and wtc's would also be illuminated at night. There would be a bridge that starts in a meadow w/ a walkway that turns into a bridge that continues on over the pool and onto the other side where there is a wall w/ the victims names. Guenther - Rochester Hills, MI The attack on the world trades center was a terrible thing. To help get through the tragedy we should put something beautiful on the site. I think we should put a giant American flag on the ground made with hand painted tiles. Also I think artists of all ages should come and place their artwork on the flag. Once the art accumulates they should make a museum for the art work. I think that later generations would appreciate seeing how artist reacted to the day of tragedy. Courtney Romain - Rochester Hills, MI I think a memorial for the World Trade Center is a wonderful idea. There has been a lot of discussion about what to put there. I think the famous picture of the three firemen should be put there but without different nationalities. The firefighters have a right to be recognized since they helped rescue survivors on that terrible day. Carrie I think that the monument looks like it should have a representation of all the lost souls that day. I think it should have 2 miniature buildings similar to the original buildings. In each of the buildings, the names of the victims in the appropriate building. In the center a eternal fire is placed in between the names of the heroes who died in the event would be placed there. A relatively big fountain formation the squirts from the 1st tower onto the top of the 2nd tower. In between the towers is an electronic banner that says "IN REMEMBRANCE". Kristin - Rochester Hills, MI After September 11th the people of America have been wondering what memorials will be built to remember those who lost their lives. In my high school art class we have been learning about memorials and what types of memorials might be designed for 911. We went on the Internet and looked at many other memorials around the world. I thought the Vietnam War Memorial was done very well because it has all of the names of everyone who died. It is also very clean and simple. In many of the memorials I looked at, including the Oklahoma City memorial, there was some type of water incorporated. I created a design for a World Trade Center memorial. It is a plaza in the ground. The walls of the plaza are water falling down, like a small waterfall. In the center of the small plaza there is a small replica of an office building, maybe about 25 or 30 feet tall. The sides will be walls of dark polished granite. Inside it will be hollow with an open top. Heidi - Detroit, Michigan Hello. At the present moment, my art class is researching different types of monuments and memorials. We researched many different memorials, and are now designing our own for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Out of the many memorials I have viewed, my favorite trait was the reflecting pond. The eternal flame also was a trait that I valued for its symbolic value. These two parts should somehow be incorporated into the World Trade Center and Pentagon memorial for their healing value, as well as their symbolic value. Brad Miller - Rochester Hills, MI For our first assignment in Fundamentals of Art our class is doing a monument having to do with 9-11-01. Each student is supposed design their own model or come up with their own idea for a memorial or statue or any kind of monument to do with 9-11-01. Before we started our project we were to look at other memorials that have already been made to get ideas. Some good ones were: Sadako in Japan with the thousands of paper cranes kids have sent to her statue that stay there all year long, another good one is JFK‚s memorial with eternal burning flame in Arlington, VA, or the water pool at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial. For my memorial I have chosen to build a small statue of 10 ft tall of the twin towers with an American flag between the towers with names of the people who died etched on the flag this will be put in New York Central Park. Dan Bruce I have a few ideas for the World Trade Center memorial. First of all I think they should have an American flag somewhere on it. The American flag has been a very key symbol after September 11 and it really shows how our country united together. I also think that there should be something to remember those who lost there lives that day. There names should be on it or there should be pictures of them on it. Another thing that I think there should be is an everlasting flame. I got this idea from looking at the JFK memorial and the holocaust memorial. There should be two flames next to each other each one representing one of the world trade center buildings. The final thing that I think should be on the memorial is a reflecting pool. I saw a picture of one from the Oklahoma City bombing memorial. No matter what they make the memorial with I think there should definitely be a memorial for both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Alyse - Rochester Hills, Michigan In my art class we have been currently sketching our own idea for the WTC and Pentagon memorial. One of the ideas I had was to instead of having one designer do it themselves how about 2 or 3 designers working with the families who lost loved ones to come up with one idea. Since there are so many families this idea might not work. The design that I came up with myself was to have a garden with benches and surrounding it would be a brick walkway. In each brick there could be a name and birth date of somebody who lost their life on September 11.I also think that not only there should be one of these in New York but in Washington too. Jill - Rochester Hills, Michigan I think that the World Trade Center memorial should be very special. This is why there should be an eternal flame. This flame would represent the remembrance of the people lost in the September 11th tragedy. We made memorials in our class and I definitely included the eternal flame. I also included the two twin towers. The base of my memorial will include bricks for each and every one of the people who helped out and/or died in the September 11th tragedy. Kasey - Rochester Hills, MI For the tragedy at the World Trade Center there should be two different memorials. One memorial should be for all of the victims that lost their life in the tragedy, including in innocent people that were killed in the planes that crashed into the buildings. The other memorial should be for all of the polices officers and firemen that helped clean up all of the debris and helped people get out of the burning buildings. I also think that the second memorial should say or show how the United States came together. Both memorials should say the name, the birth date, death date, and their occupation. If this is done we should never be able to forget what happened and how all the people of the United States came together. Heather - Rochester Hills, MI In class, we have been studying monuments for a week. A monument I have created has a large pentagon shaped field where the WTC has collapsed. In the center there are granite tiles with the names of the people who died carved on them. In the center of the tiles there is a statue of a man giving out American flags. Next to the granite circle, there is a miniature version of the World Trade Center. The smaller WTCs can be accessible inside or not. However, I feel it would be better if they weren‚t. These buildings aren‚t the size of a doll- house, but they aren‚t as big as the original WTC towers were. They are smaller than the buildings around the park. The pentagon shaped field is there to remind us of the pentagon crash. I think this is very important because the man in the middle represents the sudden outburst of flags and how everyone was in a more giving mood. This statue will show that we weren‚t afraid, but that we were strengthened by the events. Katy Fortuna - Rochester Hills, MI Hi my name is Katy Fortuna and I am in Fundamentals of Art. I am a junior at Rochester Adams High School. For the past two weeks we have been assigned to learn and create our own monuments for the world trade center. We looked at websites that had past memorials and got ideas to put into our own. My idea was to have an arch and a fountain underneath it. Then a rose garden around the fountain and arch and a brick path leading up to the fountain with the names on each brick of all the peoples lives who were lost. I also think that there should be an American flag near it. I got some of my ideas from the PBS web site and other memorial websites. I think for the artist who is building the memorial that there should be an arch with the brick path if anything. Thank you Sean Shadaia - Rochester Hills, MI I choose a picture of a Bald Eagle. The reason on why I choose it was because it represents freedom, strength, and loyalty. It is the perfect symbol to use. I can see no other reason on why not to use it. The eagle can be flying, sitting on a perch, or just doing nothing. It really does not matter what it is doing. It represents freedom no matter what! Your free at home, at work, or even at your favorite store. It really does not matter. Thank you! Mitch McIntyre - Rochester Hills, MI In my opinion there should definitely be a memorial. I think it should be like the Kennedy memorial where there is that torch that never stops burning. I have also been designing my own memorial, where its a fountain with the towers in the middle about 30 feet high. Steve Hello PBS my name is Steve and my art class is doing a project about the WTC. I was looking at your site and had some ideas that I wanted to share with you. Well first I got these ideas from looking at some web sites about the JFK memorial; I like that one. My idea is it should be about the firemen who died at the WTC. You should show a fireman in front of the destroyed WTC and a flag that you can see. I thought some worlds at the bottom of it should say In God We Trust. I hope you take these ideas and put in your brainstorm session. Rochelle - Bronx, NY I definitely think that there should be a monument to commemorate the lives of those who died in this tragic attack. They should not be forgotten and the families should always have a place to mourn and remember those lost. Rosalie Schoenfeld, Nurse-Art Therapist - Centerville, Ohio I believe the twin towers be rebuilt on the same "sacred ground" as a memorial to all the victims and survivors, family & friends. A special place allocated to include drawings, sculpture, art work, etc. showing the emotional effects of both the children and adults of the survivors and their family & friends. Perhaps permanently within and outside of the structure, or a special room. Thanks for asking our opinion. Rosalie Schoenfeld, RN, ATR, LSW Carol A. Fleming - St. Louis, MO Yes, there should be an memorial, to help with the healing and to remember the significance of September 11th attack on America. To honor those who died and those who try to help other live. As for the design ideas, it is a little early to make the final decision but it is very healthy and wise to start the process. There are plans to be made, selection of the jury, selection to chose from various designers, budget to be drawn up, actual site to settle on and so on. The process can be by both invitational to artists and architects and open competition to serious candidates. ta ta for now. thanks for asking us. Bill and Phyllis Koehnline - Chapel Hill, North Carolina Thank you for inviting me to contribute to the dialogue about the memorial on the site of the World Trade Center. I listened to the discussion of this topic on The Connection, on NPR and was much encouraged by what the panel, and most of the callers had to say. I think there should be a memorial, but I don't think it should be a huge single-purpose structure. It should be integrated into a master plan for the sixteen-acre site that will bring workers, residents, ordinary Americans and foreign visitors to the area for a variety of purposes. It should NOT be like the empty chairs at the Murrow building. It should not be the expression of any one artist or architect's vision. Personally I would trust Maya Lin to do it, if she hadn't declared that she wasn't going to do any more memorials. It should include some form of reference to the many nations who lost citizens on September 11. Trade should not be far away. But the focus should be on the loss the World suffered, not just the city or the nation. I know I'm not using the special address you included in your message. I couldn't resist putting in my two cents worth, but I also wanted to thank you for asking, and to share my reaction to a matter other than your question, namely the review of the four-part series: "Speaking for Themselves," by Eleanor Heartney, in ART in AMERICA, February 2002, pp. 53, 55. The writer totally ignores the existence of the excellent web site, and the fact that your plan is open-ended, not limited to those four broadcasts. The writer mentioned the "handsome Abrams book," and the four-part television series, but she didn't give you or PBS credit for the excellent web site, which partially or fully counteracts the absence of historical or critical contextualization, of which she complains. In my opinion, you provide plenty of context. The fact that Louise Bourgeois and Bruce Nauman don't explain themselves very well is simply a fact. You present them and they either do or don't prick the curiosity enough for somebody to look for more. I commend you. Anyone who doesn't already know about Serra and the controversial side of his work could have learned it through your web site, if not from the broadcast. And silly as it may be, I'm still following up the squiggles that could be alphabets on Golan Levin's Alphabet Synthesis Machine every day. I've downloaded a dozen fantastic fonts, don't know what to do with them, but am hooked. Thank you. Jeff - Brooklyn, NY If there is a memorial erected at the former site of the World Trade Center (and there should be / a memorial only!) a democratic process for selecting the artist/designer should be instituted. Maya Lin's profound and self-effacing design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was selected from a large body of submissions in a competition, judged by a carefully selected panel of thinkers, teachers, and artists (she was a student in college at the time her work was selected). I think Ms. Lin would argue, that if this kind of system had not been instituted, the people may not have had such an eloquent expression/site of mourning and reflection as we were have in the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. Anonymous I think the best architects from all over the world should work together to build two beautiful, confident looking buildings. If architects from all over the world help design it, it will stand for unity amongst all countries against terrorism. There should be no restrictions in the building plans. Johanna Bentwood - Washington DC The WTC sat on 14 acres of land. A beautiful park should stand as a memorial to the lives lost. New York has the opportunity unlike DC, to dedicate some or all that ground to of the innocent lives lost. To reconstruct the WTC Towers would only make the world and most of us forget that something Horrible happened. They didn't reconstruct the Ralf Morrow Federal Building in Oklahoma. Let a memorial garden beautify New York. Let that stand as a memorial to those that died. I wish that could happen in Washington DC, however being the seat of our government restoration has begun. But, DC also memorializes the countries fallen in different and continuous ways. Those of us that live in The DC Metropolitan area walk among the dead and drive by the Pentagon daily so,. the 189 people lost at the Pentagon will therefor never be forgotten. I believe DC will find a magnificent way to remember them. Jfrson What do you think the World Trade Center Memorial should be? - I think a living memorial - a park but a very unusual park - one is international, maybe it would have to be in a glass dome to protect the variety of plants. But I think the countries of all of victims should be represented. Who should it commemorate and how? - It should commemorate all who died, were injured and are grieving from 9/11 but it should commemorate all people who have suffered from terrorist attacks all over the world. What is your vision for the memorial? - A place of peace and remembrance, a safe and quiet place where people can assemble and communicate. A non-political, non-nationalistic place. Who would you choose to design such an auspicious monument and why? - Don't know the answer to that, lots of research is necessary. Do you think there should even be a memorial? - Yes but only if it does the things above, it should not be an opportunity to wave the American flag and damage other countries, it should be about educating people so that terrorism never happens anywhere in the world. Susan Kramer - New York I'd like to see new towers with a similar feel to Martin Puryear's sculptures on the water at the World Financial Center. The tops of the towers would be constructed of metal open work. The sky would show through it. There would be lights at certain junctures of the metal, each representing one of the people who perished. The base of the towers could be solid buildings or the whole thing could just be symbolic and be surrounded by semicircular buildings in an "embrace". Rene - Philadelphia, PA The 110-story steel frames of the twin towers could be rebuilt in the same locations, but only the lower half of each would be habitable. The interior of the upper frames could be covered with steel mesh to create a soft, dream-like image during the day, as well as when lit from the interior at night. Viewing platforms, serviced by elevators, might be created at several "significant" locations within the upper reaches of the structures as a moving remembrance of the events of September 11. Similarly, the earth at the base of the towers might open at several locations to respectfully expose the ground where the original towers, and the lives of those that were lost, now rest in peace. Sam Sigg - New Haven, CT I've read a number of the proposals, and some sound very good. I also agree that someone prominent should not automatically be chosen because their former work was successful. A competition should be opened, the field should be narrowed to 10 or 15 designs, and the maquettes should be put on display, with the concept, artist statement, etc...then let the vote be taken with some combination/percentage of "the people's vote" combined with that of a panel of experts in landscape and site-specific sculpture. It seems like a fair way to get expertise, but also to listen to the spirit of the memory and eventual meaning of the event. I think it should be some kind of open space with as much landscaped park as possible, including a structure which could house some sort of memorial/educational/research center. The grounds could be formed into a very large slightly concave, slightly convex bowl/dome which would lend itself to reflectiveness as one walks gently up, along, around... I think the site requires that the memorial pretty much BE the site, whether envisioned as landscape architecture or a combination of site and structure. I sense that some interactiveness with the materials that were the WTC is needed, and would help people to express emotion in a tactile way, as in touching the black slabs of the Vietnam Vet Memorial. I know I would get a lot out of just touching some of the steel beams that once held up the buildings which I visited, in which people worked and tragically died. Joyce Zurel - Clarkston, MI I would pick Christine Hagedorn. She is a great artist and has suffered much personal loss. Her themes are often about the the human spirit prevailing through adversity. She would be the best. David I kind of like the idea of finding and restoring the Calder piece "Propellar" that was crushed under the weight of the rumble... although it may not be the most symbolic of images...it could represent the spirit and strength of our people and country and how we can survive the worst of times as a free nation... rebuilding and using what is still in place! Clark I'd like to see light pointing toward heaven where those who left us too early went. Michael Mao The 5 round towers surrounding the Park are meant to have structurally separate and can function as separate entities not bearing the name World Trade. Five to symbolize the five continents which have lost people. These buildings will be accessible only on ground level. The World Trade Park subway station mentioned on page one will lead only to the spires and then the Park. It is vital that traffic for business and that for pilgrims do not mix. After visiting the spires and then the Park, pilgrims can exit above ground, bringing some business to the area shops. The trees are living links between the lost and the survivors. The firefighters and police can be the outer circle embracing the inner circles. Perhaps Maple for Firefighters and Spruce for Police? There is no race in trees and are probably under these circumstances a very good memorial. The spirit of the dead and through the roots ascend to heaven and circular benches around every tree can allow the mourners to commune with the dead in a spiritual way. The top floor "lost" can be the next circle. I suppose one could also decide to plant different trees for every nation which has lost its citizens to dramatize the number of nations affected. When the trees are grown the office workers will look down to a canopy of changing colors because of the seasonal changes instead of long lines of people trying to get into some structure. The walk up idea to the top of the spires will keep the traffic flowing. In addition it would certainly be the free choice of the pilgrims how "high" a risk they would take. I think it is important that the two spires of exactly the same heights as the former WTC to show the spirit of this national "hubris" of always reaching higher, but to rebuild the towers would be a step back instead of a step forward. The park being there only for those whose pay respects should be a good gesture. Each tree bears the name, paragraphs and image of the lost. The idea is to make the pilgrimage an actual interactive deed rather than ogling at something. Nothing artificial can be right. Colleen Skiff Absolutely, a memorial should be built on the World Trade Center site, in a grande park setting AND buildings should be reconstructed. There is plenty of space and land to do both. M Bayer, Beresford Art Gallery - | |||||||||||||||||
|
