Crescent design for Sept. 11 memorial replaced

Centre Daily & AP ^ | Nov. 30, 2005 | JENNIFER C. YATES

[neverdem]

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Designers of a Flight 93 memorial have made a circular, bowl-shaped piece of land its centerpiece, replacing the original crescent-shape design that some critics had said was a symbol honoring terrorists.

The new design, announced Wednesday by the memorial planning committee, features most of the same details of the original, which was unveiled in September after a worldwide design competition.

A tower with 40 wind chimes welcomes visitors to the crash site near Shanksville. There, they can walk to a large circular field ringed by 40 groves of red and sugar maple trees, symbolizing the 40 passengers and crew who died when hijacked Flight 93 went down on Sept. 11, 2001.

The circle enhances the earlier design by putting more emphasis on the crash site, according to details of the new plan, contained in the Flight 93 National Memorial's November newsletter. A break in the trees will symbolize the path the plane took.

"It is the convergence of the land's beauty and power with the strength and sacrifice of heroic, personal action on September 11th that gave the memorial site its unique sanctity," according to the plan.

In September, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., criticized the design in a letter to National Park Service Director Fran Mainella. Tancredo said many questioned the shape "because of the crescent's prominent use as a symbol in Islam - and the fact that the hijackers were radical Islamists."

Paul Murdoch, president of Paul Murdoch Architects, which designed the memorial, had called the criticism of the crescent an "unfortunate diversion," but said they were sensitive to the concerns.

In the newsletter, he describes the new design as an "evolution" of what was announced two months ago. The changes reflect comments from the public, the competition's jury and others, he said.

"In the months to come, the design will continue to develop as more implementation issues are identified," Murdoch wrote in the newsletter.

Flight 93 was flying to San Francisco from Newark, N.J., when it was hijacked and crashed. The official 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed it as passengers tried to take control of the cockpit.

The original design was selected by a jury of 15 made up of design professionals and family and community members and was narrowed down from a pool of 1,011.

Besides the circular bowl, the memorial consists of a Tower of Voices at the entrance of the memorial with 40 metallic wind chimes for each victim. There will also be pedestrian trails and a plaza from which to view the crash site. The victims names will be inscribed there on a white marble wall.

AP reporter Kimberly Hefling contributed to this story from Washington.

ON THE NET

Flight 93 Memorial Project: http://www.flight93memorialproject.org

[neodad]

he describes the new design as an "evolution" of what was announced two months ago

Sounds more like "intelligent design" won.

[DoctorMichael]

........Paul Murdoch, president of Paul Murdoch Architects, which designed the memorial, had called the criticism of the crescent an "unfortunate diversion," but said they were sensitive to the concerns...........

What were they thinking to begin with? These guys are supposedly paid for not only the logisitics, materials, and manner of building an object but also the Aesthetics of that object.

aes·thet·ic or es·thet·ic    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (s-thtk)
adj.

1. Relating to the philosophy or theories of aesthetics.
2. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste: the aesthetic faculties.
3. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty.
4. Artistic: The play was an aesthetic success.
5. Informal. Conforming to accepted notions of good taste.

n.

1. A guiding principle in matters of artistic beauty and taste; artistic sensibility: “a generous Age of Aquarius aesthetic that said that everything was art” (William Wilson).
2. An underlying principle, a set of principles, or a view often manifested by outward appearances or style of behavior: “What troubled him was the squalor of [the colonel's] aesthetic” (Lewis H. Lapham).

I'm partial to definition #2 (ie. "good taste".

[Former Dodger]

Sounds like the petitions and phone calls worked...

Power to the People PING!

I am truly amazed that the National Park Service changed it...they are not known from common sense decisions, I have a few friends in the NPS...

[irons_player]

>>worldwide design competition<<

Why?

[TomGuy]

Flight 93 National Memorial

Revised illustrations of the 'bowl'. PDF document

[Piranha]

The "tower of voices" doesn't by any chance call the faithful to prayer five times a day, does it?

I'm just asking.

[Thombo2]

"The design will continue to develop as more implementation issues are identified."(typical leftwing double talk)Translation:We had to get rid of the red cresent/tribute to islam design.

[USF]

Thanks for the ping to the great news, FD.

It's amazing to see how much time and effort had to be used to get a neutral memorial in the first place, where as the "hate America first" LLL crowd always seems a step ahead.

If it had anything perceived to be remotely critical of islam, it would probably have been altered in a nanosecond.

[fella]

a circular, bowl-shaped piece of land its centerpiece, replacing the original crescent-shape design

NOW IT"S A CRATER? Did these people break into the drug evidence locker at the police station?

[peyton randolph]

The Circle of Islam?

Tradition has it that the Muslim, Nureel Mobeen, escaped imprisonment on Robben Island and hid in the caves of the Apostles. His kramat (tomb of a Muslim holy man) is now a shrine at Oudekraal.

The six kramats - one on Robben Island, one at Somerset West and four on the Peninsula - form what Muslims refer to as the sacred Circle of Islam. They believe that those who live within the circle are protected from natural disasters such as fire, famine, plague, earthquakes and tidal waves. History of Cape Town, Myth and legend in Cape Town , the Cape settlers

Ka'bah and the Holy Mosque

 

[randog]

Whatever happened to just plunking down a big chunk of rock and affixing a plaque to it that describes what happened? Something that'll last for centuries without 50 Park Service employees needed to maintain it? Why does everything have to be "interpreted"? Just tell us what happened there, who the players were and who got their asses kicked over it.

[Dallas59]

These frickin idiots are really out of touch with the American people.

[tophat9000]

I would still likes to know if this things is still orientation to face Mecca....

To be honest it doesn't look all that changed and the orientation to Mecca is what inclined me to think this was a deliberate fast one on the designer part to incorporate secret Muslims sacred imagery and idea's from mosques ..(his little secret aid to help reconciliation and peace I guess)... I don't trust the guy

[apackof2]

Ditto on that

[peyton randolph]

Here are the Towers of Voices. Never Forget.

 

[Necrovore]

I don't see where you get intelligent design from this. The design went from a Muzzie crescent to the shape of an impact crater. Both designs are a slap in the face to our citizens who died on that flight.

[Leatherneck_MT]

I would have voted to keep the crescent actually.

But there should have been a blacktopped walkway slashing diagnonally, all the way through it as an added feature.

[Lakeshark]

Good news ping.

[PAR35]

So the crescent was changed to a circle with a piece out of it? It sounds like they wouldn't even have to change the appearance to meet the new description.

[2ndClassCitizen]

The design should be supplemented with a pig sty. It should have four pigs to represent the hijacker terrorists. Each pig should be given the name of one of the hijacking terrorists. This should be placed close to the porta potties which will be at the site.

[PA Engineer]

BTTT.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Mo1]

Thanks for the ping!

[fieldmarshaldj]

Looks like "Carousel" from "Logan's Run." That always gave me the creeps, especially now that I'm a year past the age I would've had to "report." ;-)

[blu]

Whatever happened to just plunking down a big chunk of rock and affixing a plaque to it that describes what happened?

Hear hear!!!

It sounds like this is designed as a tourist spot. Soon, there'll be a Flight 93 Dairy Queen, "getchya Flight 93 hot dogs here", and don't forget the Flight 93 Roller Coaster ("feel how your stomach drops when you're heading to the ground...just like the members of Flight 93 felt!")

Sorry, I'm just one of those people who chooses to remember people the way they were, not how and where they died. This site sounds so peaceful...and what happened there was anything but peaceful. A big rock, salt the ground where the crash was, and never forget. Why must we romanticize acts of war?

[AmericanArchConservative]

Great News PING!

A.A.C.

"The Final Crusade has commenced!"

[USF]

Hey AAC,

Good to have you back around, and spreading good news too!

[BigCinBigD]

what ever happened to a nice old fashioned statue or marble edifice? I go there I don't want to feel at peace. I want to feel mad as Hell.

[neodad]

Maybe a tank. I like memorials with armor.

[Gondring]

While I agree with the idiocy of things always having to be "interpreted" (though I admire some professional historical interpreters), there's something to be said for making this more than just a rock.

First of all, if you don't take traffic into consideration, you have safety problems (I once had to assist with the moving of a memorial for a girl killed in a traffic accident because the throngs of mourners were nearly getting run over by passing traffic!)

Secondly, have you ever visited the "Maine Memorial" (the Cuban American Friendship Urn) to the sailors of the USS Maine in DC? It's near George Mason's memorial. Been there? The G-Man's memorial is near Thomas Jefferson's (Tommy J's is on the Tidal Basin). Somehow, just a small memorial doesn't get much notice. (And heck, even big ones get forgotten...have you ever seen the World War I memorial in DC? Most people haven't.)

I think this one needs to have enough size to facilitate visitors who might otherwise not make the trip, but it shouldn't become a major tourism spot...IMHO.

[Gondring]

Maybe a tank. I like memorials with armor.

Le Penseur could have used some armor when it was bombed!

[Redleg Duke]

How about a pile of pig Sh!t for each of the terrorists on board?

[traviskicks]

In September, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., criticized the design in a letter to National Park Service Director Fran Mainella. Tancredo said many questioned the shape "because of the crescent's prominent use as a symbol in Islam - and the fact that the hijackers were radical Islamists."
---


This is another reason why I think poorly of Trancedo. The criticism of it was overhyped and overblown.... Nobody was trying to imply anything about islam with this...

[Thinkin' Gal]

Looks like "Carousel" from "Logan's Run."

[okie01]

What were they thinking to begin with? These guys are supposedly paid for not only the logisitics, materials, and manner of building an object but also the Aesthetics of that object.

Personally, I believe the architect knew exactly what he was doing. Besides the ill-advised crescent configuration, an azimuth through the open "horns" of the crescent pointed northeast -- and directly toward Mecca via the Great Circle route.

Underneath all the "aesthetics" was a bad joke...

[toldyou]

Thanks for the thread, and thanks to the efforts of these FReepers....JeffHead and JulieRNR21:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1516992/posts

Please read the comments of those who signed the petition.....really tells a lot about what people thought about the original design.

Also, read the comment of Tom Burnett,Sr., a father of one of the passengers who saw what we all saw in the original design. It will be in the article as soon as you click onto the site.

[Son Of The Godfather]

Not all good news... just lip service.

The fight is NOT over:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=18430#comments

Lets Roll.

[HighWheeler]

This was the plane that was flight 93. This photo was taken on Saturday, September 8th 2001, only three days before it was hijacked:

[firewalk]

bttt

[DoctorMichael]

........Underneath all the "aesthetics" was a bad joke........

I would hope that you're wrong. However, knowing how even educated people, in this case architects, think these days, you could be right. The design was transparently disgusting.

[toldyou]

Thanks for the news :(

Do you know how hard it is having someone sign a simple petition? I emailed people who in turn passed the info to their friends. (At least some said they did.) The URL was supplied. I reminded people until I felt I was "bugging" them. All they had to do was click on it. They are either ignorant, and don't see what we see, or don't want to get involved. Some friends of mine signed it, but not all.

I retired in 2003, flew out of Newark with members of Flight 93, and I worked that flight many times. I attended a social meeting with about 15 retired flight attendants recently....talked with a few. One gal didn't understand the contraversy regarding the design...asked me how I was making something out of nothing. Did you see the wife of one of the pilots saying how ridiculous it is that some people are opposing it? Tom Burnett was the only one involved in the "voting" who saw it as we do. I guess I'm wrong when I think that certainly there are other flight 93 family members who oppose it.

Americans are too trusting, and that's what got us into this situation to begin with.