The 6 month anniversary has meant more to me than I even expected. And I found the documentary 9/11 to be literally stunning. I shook the whole time watching it.
I think a memorial should include usable office and living space. I wish I were an architect so I could express my ideas better. But, I'd propose four buildings surrounding a center courtyard, each no taller than 55 stories. I'd probably lean towards having the buildings be a slight crescent shape. The walls of the buildings facing the street would be of normal constuction, except there would be a band of red brick, white granite, and blue marble about 2/3 of the way up each building. The walls facing the courtyard would be glass (somewhat like the John Hancock tower here in Boston.) In the courtyard itself would be two reflecting pools, side by side, 110 yards long. (I'm thinking of something like the reflecting pool at the Christian Science Center, also here in Boston. BTW, it's functional as well as pretty, because it's part of the cooling system.) The lobby of each building would contain a gallery, where exhibits would change every few months. Also, permanently installed in each building would be a work of art/craft to commemorate victims. For example, a "memory quilt" with the faces and names of victims sewn into it, that sort of thing - something hand done, and exquisitely beautiful. Each work of memorial art would contain 1/4 of the victims' names/faces. So, that's my $.02 worth... lots of love Anne
