The 9-11 Memorial

Its been 11 years since the tragic fall of New York City’s beloved twin towers. September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered as the day that hundreds of people were lost to the rubble that was once the twin towers.

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to visit the 9-11 Memorial that serves to remember and commemorate all those who lost their lives on this tragic day. The memorial consists of two pool; a North pool and a South pool. These pools are built in the dimensions of the buildings. Upon entering the memorial the sound of water rushing down fills our ears and drowns out all sound. The sound is peaceful and immediately draws our attention to the water. The water falls inward similar to how to the towers collapsed. The water is rapidly falling from the sides in a disorderly manner but calms down as it reaches the bottom only to fall down another opening in the middle. This signifies the attack. After the first plane crash there was silence and people thought that the attack was over. However another plane crashed into the second building creating commotion again. Similarly the water falls in a chaotic manner and then becomes calm only to be followed by another chaotic falling. Also, the rushing water is a common element of many memorials as it represents purity and serenity. Around the pools are the names of all those who lost their lives.

Furthermore, unlike many other memorials where the names are engraved into, the names are carved into the sides. I believe that this adds a much more permanent touch to the memorial. Just as the names are carved into the sides, this event has been carved into our memories.

Just before visiting the 9-11 Memorial, we visited the Vietnam War Memorial. This memorial had no waterfall but a large wall. On the wall were engraved letters to the families of the soldiers. These letters written by the Vietnam soldiers conveyed loving messaging giving their regards and ensuring of their safety for the time being.

These two memorials had a very peaceful and calming feeling. This peaceful feeling helped spark a connection and a sense of emotion for the victims of these two events even though I had not known them and therefore the artwork/architecture present at these memorials did just what it was supposed to do.