World Trade Center Memorial
Agency
Carrie Helle
Practice Area
Client
Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design
Industry
Project Vision
This memorial is meant to capture a moment from the morning of September 11, a day that stands strongly in everyone’s mind. The beginning of the memorial, essentially “ground zero,” was designed so visitors walk through a path of destruction. Obstacles in their way will be life-size sculptures of people running from the towers and helping others, demolished vehicles, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles. There will also be briefcases, cell phones, facemasks, and paper scattered on the ground.
All sculptures will be cast and resin coated with ashes. The ground itself will be concrete and bronzed tiles. The bronzed tiles will hold the names of individuals who lost their lives that tragic day. The tiles will be randomly placed so visitors will have to “search” for the tile holding their lost loved one’s name. This part of the memorial will lead up to a platform holding the remains of the Twin Towers, which are also bronze. There will be eight benches around the platform where people can stop and reflect.
Project Details
This proposal is extremely well planned and thought out. The use of the outer structure of both fallen towers is a powerful use of icons that have become synonymous with the disaster worldwide. The incorporation of the sculptures of the firefighters, tenants, and other disaster artifacts adds a sense of humanity to the monument.
There are many proposals – and there will be many more – for memorializing the events of September 11. This thoughtful, well-documented offering should be added to the ideas that will be considered when the time for memorial building arises.
Design Firm
Carrie Helle
Consultants
George Lim (instructor)