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Architects: Michael Arad and Peter Walker

Location: World Trade Center, New York, NY, USA
In the name of God
Architects In Charge: Steven M. Davis, FAIA; Carl F.
Krebs, AIA
Pavilion Entry Architect: Snøhetta
Exhibition Designers: Local Projects, LLC
Historical Exhibition Designer: Layman Design
Area: 110000.0 sqm
Year: 2014
The 9/11 Memorial Museum
With completion in sight (May 2014), Davis Brody Bond has released detailed
information on the design of the subterranean 9/11 Memorial Museum in
Manhattan. Located beneath the sculptural voids that form the 9/11 Memorial,
the new museum has transformed a fixed set of geometric constraints into an
emotional journey that gently descends visitors 70 feet below the ground level to
the original foundations of the World Trade Center towers.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum

Site Plan
“The architects of the Museum had to respond to a challenging set of
physical conditions and preservation mandates,” described Alice M.
Greenwald, Director of the 9/11 Memorial Museum. “But, even more
importantly, they also had to consider the sanctity of the site, which required
an extraordinary understanding of how authenticity of place could impact
Michael Arad

The 9/11 Memorial Museum

Designed to “present and preserve the history and memories of the events of 9/11, while
documenting the impact of the attacks and exploring their enduring significance,” the
110,000 square foot museum is first accessed from the plaza of the World Trade Center
and through a glass pavilion designed by Snøhetta. Here, a small auditorium and private
space for 9/11 victims’ families is provided, before visitors are guided down a gentle
. . . .
.

.
World Trade Center Tridents in the entry pavilion
Throughout the decent, framed views offer a glimpse of the slurry wall, “the original
retaining wall that was built to withstand the lateral forces of landfill and river, and
which survived the collapse of the towers.”

The Ribbon was inspired by the ramp used to remove debris from the site in the
aftermath of the attacks. It serves as the Museum’s main circulation, leading visitors
through a contemplative experience that reveals the story of 9/11 before ultimately
culminating at the bedrock level where the sheared base columns of the World Trade
Center towers remain. The 9/11 Memorial Museum
Model of the “Ribbon”, the
Ramp that Gently
Descends and Guides
Visitors from the Plaza to
the Bedrock Level.
Plan of the Memorial Hall Level Plan of the Overlook Level
At the end of the Ribbon,
“the descent continues down
along the Vesey Street Stairs
(“Survivors’ Stairs”), which
were used by hundreds to
escape to safety on 9/11. It
ultimately leads to two
exhibition spaces and
Foundation Hall, the
Museum’s culminating
space whose sheer scale
conveys the enormity of the
site and reinforces
Plan of the Bedrock Level
awareness of the absence of
what once was there.”
Section
The two exhibition spaces
are located within the
footprints of the Twin
Towers, directly below the
Memorial’s reflecting
pools. A historical
exhibition gallery takes the
place of the North Tower,
while a memorial
exhibition, education
center, and excavation of
the original structure
occupies the space of the
South Tower.
South Tower with Box Beam Columns
At the end of the Ribbon, “the descent continues down along the Vesey Street Stairs
(“Survivors’ Stairs”), which were used by hundreds to escape to safety on 9/11. It
ultimately leads to two exhibition spaces and Foundation Hall, the Museum’s
culminating space whose sheer scale conveys the enormity of the site and reinforces
awareness of the absence of what once was there.”

The two exhibition spaces are located within the footprints of the Twin Towers,
directly below the Memorial’s reflecting pools. A historical exhibition gallery takesMuseum
The 9/11 Memorial
. .

.
 .
.
.
“The historic importance of the site and its symbolism made it essential for us to find
a balance between the collective and the individual experience,” says Steven M.
Davis, FAIA of Davis Brody Bond. “We relied on four principles to guide our work:
memory, authenticity, scale and emotion, hoping to provide the most sensitive,
respectful and informative experience for visitors.”

The 9/11 Memorial Museum

 .

. .
Memory: One of the primary goals in the design was to remind people what
existed on the site before 9/11. The World Trade Center towers were fixtures on the
New York City skyline and part of the daily life of hundreds of thousands of people.

Authenticity: Few memorials occupy the site of the events they commemorate.
The Museum is located where the attacks occurred and where the recovery process
began. It gives visitors a first-hand encounter with the site.

Scale: The World Trade Center was enormous, as was the impact of 9/11. The scale
of the original building has been preserved and contributes to the impact of the visit.
Foundation Hall is a cathedral-like space, a place of meditation.
Emotion: How visitors will experience the Museum has been a significant consideration
in its design. The design ensures that visitors, when confronting subjects of emotional
intensity, includes areas that allow and promote moments of solemnity and contemplation.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum

The 9/11 Memorial Museum is comprised of three basic materials –
concrete, aluminum, and wood – all of which are intended to evoke
“both the raw character of the site and the period of recovery, yet also
provide tactile elements that are familiar and comfortable to the
visitor.”

The 9/11 Memorial Museum

Sites:
www. 911memorial.org
www.archdaily.com
www.illumni.co
www.nytimes.com

References