We sought to bring back the moment of intense connection between the Hoboken pier and the Manhattan skyline with our submission to this invited 9/11 memorial competition. We proposed a stream of water guiding the visitor to the waterfront edge. The stream fans out into a still reflecting pool, and the skyline is reflected on the water to convey both the glory of human endeavor and the place of the fallen towers. Engraved beneath the shallow water are the names of the 9/11 victims from Hoboken. As the viewer turns toward the site of the World Trade Center, the names blend with the reflection of the skyline. The water flows over the pool’s edge passing over the names, symbolizing the cycle of life and renewal. At sunset, computer-controlled lights illuminate, pulsating according to a matrix bounded by the names of the victims and the years of their births. As the process of mourning is not limited to the daytime, neither is an encounter with the memorial.

Collaboration with dzo Architecture