Eyes on an ‘Empty Sky’ this September 11

 
Thousands gathered in New York City this weekend to attend the 10th anniversary ceremonies in honor of those lost in the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks. But while work continues on the extensive National September 11 Memorial project—composed of the public Memorial Plaza, designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, and now open to the public; the focal Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (which currently rises just 78 of the total 105 planned stories); the Four World Trade Center building, designed by Fumihiko Maki; and sub-level National September 11 Memorial Museum, designed by Aedas, with entry pavilion designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta (covered in detail by Contract’s Editor in Chief John Czarnecki in our forthcoming September issue)—those in New Jersey were able to participate in the commemoration of a much smaller yet equally powerful memorial on Saturday, September 10.

The New Jersey 9/11 “Empty Sky” Memorial, designed by Frederic Schwartz Architects (FSA) and located across the river from Manhattan at Liberty State Park (shown above and below, www.schwartzarch.com), is meant to remember the lives of 746 people from New Jersey lost in the September 11 attacks. The two 30-foot-high, 210-foot-long (a measurement that equals the width of each side of the World Trade Center) walls parallel each other to create a path between them. Each name is engraved at 3.75 inches tall on either of the memorial’s interior facade.

Placed to frame the now empty skyline view of Ground Zero and create an illusion for onlookers, the concrete structures are surfaced in stainless steel to reflect the varying angles of natural light throughout the day. Architect Frederick Schwartz, the memorial’s designer, notes to The Jersey Journal at the commemoration service that its positioning also allows the light reflected off it’s the memorial’s surface to create a halo between two walls at certain times of the day, which he admits was unintentional. "To me, it's a religious experience," he says. "For me, that is as if god is trying to tell us he is watching over these people."

The memorial itself rests between by slightly sloped hills, which helps to integrate the walls into the park’s landscape. Overall, "Empty Sky" literally and metaphorically encourages locals to find strength and look forward as a community.

The design for “Empty Sky” was selected by the family members of those it commemorates as the National Competition Winner of the 2004 AIA New Jersey Honor Award. Jessica Jamroz, an associate at Frederic Schwartz Architects, designed the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial with Schwartz asthe project manager.

FSA also won the competition for “The Rising,” a memorial at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, New York, that honors the112 Westchester County locals who were lost in the attacks. This design, which was also chosen by the victims’ family members and created by Schwartz and Jamroz, features a structure that resembles an upside-down funnel. The memorial (shown above, photo by Jessica Jamroz/Frederic Schwartz Architects) is made from 112 interlaced stainless steel strands to symbolize strength and unity among the community.

What do you think about the designs? Do you feel that they successfully capture and elicit symbolic power? What other memorial designs have resonated with you on a personal level? Share your thoughts and comments with us below.

 –Stacy Straczynski