The National September 11 Memorial, or “Reflecting Absence," is a eulogy built in loving memory of the thousands of American lives that were lost on September 11th, 2001 due to a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993. The construction of the memorial began on March 2006, and the doors to the memorial opened on September 11th, 2011, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the attack. The memorial is located at the site of the 9/11 tragedy on the former World Trade Center structure and takes up approximately half of the 16-acre ground. What everyone had known as Ground Zero for ten years had finally become an outstanding memorial to honor all the loss and pain endured by the country and its citizens. The design for the memorial was chosen by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation after carefully reviewing over 5,000 entries that were submitted in a cosmopolitan competition held in 2003. The winner of this competition was Michael Arad, and once his design was selected, Mr. Arad joined the New York firm of Handel Architects as a Partner in April 2004 where he worked on fulfilling and perfecting the Memorials' design. The landscape and architecture was taken care of by the Peter Walker and Partners firm. Their firm is recognized and known for their ability to produce landscapes that are both timeless and unique. The memorial consists of Two approximate 1-acre (4,000 m2) mirror pools with the largest man-made waterfalls in North America.
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The pools are built on the footprints of the fallen twin towers and have the names of every person that died on the 2001 and 1993 attacks. Their names are engraved in 76 bronze plates that are attached to the 30-foot deep black granite walls. The use of bronze is common in the US and symbolizes patriotism towards the fallen, and the granite is a symbol of rigidity and timelessness. The same way the American people will not forget their loss and pain they will be united through it just as the bronze plates are united to the apparent infinite waterfall walls. The granite will be sturdy through time. Also, the waterfalls are surrounded by a variety of trees which make the memorial a green rooftop to the memorial museum, the subway station, and other establishments 70 feet below street level. Memorials have been built all over the world in a bid for people to recognize the sacrifices of the brave. A great example is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris that symbolizes those who fought in the Napoleonic wars. Although it is an amazing monument people flocked to see it and do not recognize what it symbolizes. Reflecting absence enables you to do exactly what the title implies. Arad did not create a lavish sculpture, but highlighted something that is missing which can be clearly seen by the gaping hole. Not only is it clear that something is missing, but for a tourist to look down in New York City means that it doesn’t take a genius to realize that this was intentional. In a city where looking up is in its design, for the brief moment when you're at the monument you can't help but to look down and contemplate the tragedy of
The pools are built on the footprints of the fallen twin towers and have the names of every person that died on the 2001 and 1993 attacks. Their names are engraved in 76 bronze plates that are attached to the 30-foot deep black granite walls. The use of bronze is common in the US and symbolizes patriotism towards the fallen, and the granite is a symbol of rigidity and timelessness. The same way the American people will not forget their loss and pain they will be united through it just as the bronze plates are united to the apparent infinite waterfall walls. The granite will be sturdy through time. Also, the waterfalls are surrounded by a variety of trees which make the memorial a green rooftop to the memorial museum, the subway station, and other establishments 70 feet below street level. Memorials have been built all over the world in a bid for people to recognize the sacrifices of the brave. A great example is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris that symbolizes those who fought in the Napoleonic wars. Although it is an amazing monument people flocked to see it and do not recognize what it symbolizes. Reflecting absence enables you to do exactly what the title implies. Arad did not create a lavish sculpture, but highlighted something that is missing which can be clearly seen by the gaping hole. Not only is it clear that something is missing, but for a tourist to look down in New York City means that it doesn’t take a genius to realize that this was intentional. In a city where looking up is in its design, for the brief moment when you're at the monument you can't help but to look down and contemplate the tragedy of