“ On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all.”  

This inscription, at the center of the memorial fountain, hints at the devastating effects of the bombing. To  commemorate the loss of lives, and the loss of New York City’s confidence, The Port Authority of New York &  New Jersey issued a call for designs for a memorial—more than 2,000 artists, architects, and other design professionals responded.

The memorial is placed directly above the site of the bombing in the parking garage below grade. It is located directly between Tower 1 and Tower 2, the site selected by the terrorists as likely to damage both towers at once. It is not accidental that seen from above, the image of the memorial fountain and its surrounds is that of a bull’s eye.

Seen on the plaza the circular fountain recalls ancient tumulus markers with its fractured white granite walls. These walls enclose a shallow pool that collects water flowing from the red granite drum—the center of the fountain. It is around this drum that the inscription above is installed both in English and Spanish, and it lists the names of the World Trade Center employees who lost their lives.

The hundreds of tons of the granite used in this memorial were disintegrated in the 9/11 disaster. But amazingly one fragment of the inscribed disc was found and is installed in the 9/11 Memorial Museum.


COMPLETED 1995
LOCATION
New York City, NY
SITE DESCRIPTION
World Trade Center plaza between Tower 1 and Tower 2 above actual bombsite; 30-foot-diameter fountain structure
PRIMARY MATERIALS
Granite, water, and paving
SPONSOR
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Art Commission
CONSULTANTS
Stone supply & fabrication: Cold Spring Granite Company
Fountain engineer: Dr. Gerald Palevsky