Freedom Tower and Vietnam War Memorial

Eager to avoid creating a fortress that overshadows the World Trade Center memorial, the architects of the Freedom Tower unveiled a new approach today. They would clad its 187-foot-high, bomb-resistant concrete base in a screen of glass prisms rather than metal panels.

I still don’t see the point in erecting yet another tower. Assuming a hero passed away, what would be the best way to remember him? Definately not by building a tower, commercial value wise its a good move, but artistic wise its a no no. When the americans want to honor their late presidents, they erect statues or construct a memorial, not something that consist of office blocks, money making idea should not be the main priority.

The best memorial monument would be the Vietnam War Memorial. Its a simple yet meaningful memorial, the design has a meaningful touch to it. Minimalist at its best by a female fresh graduate.

“As you descend the path along the wall and reach this angle, you realize that one wing of the black wall points straight at the tall, white Washington Monument a mile or so off, and the other at the Lincoln Memorial, visible through a screen of trees about 600 feet away. In making this descent you feel you’re entering a cloistered space, set off from the busy surroundings. Streets and skylines disappear to leave you alone with the wall and its names. Then, as you pass the angle and begin to climb, you feel yourself emerging again into the world of noise and light after a meditative experience.” - Robert Campbell

The idea of a wound healing after a cut was the main concept, excavating the site is like a cut on our body, and eventually it will heal by itself and leaving a scar, just like the memorial. A small scar on the face of earth, not too deep, not too shallow, and definately not something as bombastic like the Freedom Tower. Scars are something that reminds us of the bad times, and 911 is a scar to the americans, forgive but never forget.

Source : Gothamist

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