THE MEMORIAL CONSISTS OF THREE ELEMENTS: THE TRELLIS, THE WELL, AND THE WTC FOOTPRINTS.

THE TRELLIS IS A SOLEMN AND DIAPHANOUS RECREATION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAZA LEVEL. THE NAMES OF THE DEAD ARE SPELLED OUT IN METAL LETTERS ATTACHED TO CURVED BEAMS WHICH CREATE A PATTERN OF INTERSECTING RIPPLES RADIATING FROM EACH FOOTRPINT.

COLUMNS SUPPORT THE BEAMS, CREATING A SPACE EVOCATIVE OF HYPOSTYLE HALLS AND GOTHIC CATHEDRALS, BREATHTAKING IN SCALE AND PERSONAL IN DETAIL.

THE NAMES ARE FACING UPWARDS, SO THAT THEY CREATE TRANSIENT SHADOW NAMES ON THE PLAZA BELOW. THE NAMES OF THE DEAD WILL APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR WITH THE SUN AND THE CLOUDS.

FROM ABOVE, THE TRELLIS PRESENTS A SHIMMERING, TRANSLUCENT VISION OF WHAT ONCE WAS SOLID. FROM BELOW IT CREATES A SUB-MARINE-LIKE WORLD FILLED WITH SLIGHT SHADOWS AND AN ETHEREAL LAYER OF THE DECEASED ABOVE.

THE COLUMNS AND TRELLIS CREATE A SPACE AT ONCE HIPOSTYLE HALL AND GOTHIC CATHEDRAL,

THE WELL IS AN INTIMATE AND PERSONAL REFUGE FROM THE PUBLIC SPACE AROUND IT. IT IS A VERTICAL SHAFT OF SPACE, EVOKING THE NEGATIVE OF THE WTC TOWERS THEMSELVES. VISITORS ENTER AT THE MIDDLE (PLAZA LEVEL) AND LOOK DOWN TO THE RELFLECTING POOL. ONLY A REFLECTED SQUARE OF SKY IS VISILBE WITH THE SLIGHT RIPPLING OF THE MOTION OF THE CITY TO DISTURB IT. BENEATH THIS POOL LIE THE REMAINS OF THE UNKNOWN.

IN AN INVERSION OF THEIR FORMER EXISTENCE, THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE WTC TOWERS ARE THE SUNNY RELIEF, THE SOFT COUNTERPOINT TO THE HARDNESS SURROUNDING THEM. GRASSY FIELDS, THEY BECOME COMFORTING PLACES TO CONTEMPLATE THE EVENTS THAT UNFOLDED THERE. THEY WILL DRAW THE PUBLIC FROM UNDER THE TRELLIS INTO FULL SUNLIGHT.

THE EXISTING FEATURES OF THE SITE, THE SLURRY WALL, THE WATERFALL, THE RAMPS, EVEN THE SKY, ARE ALL MADE MORE IMPORTANT BY THEIR LOCATION IN THIS SACRED SPACE.