Architects: Davis Brody Bond

Architects (Museum Entry Pavilion): Snøhetta

General Contractor: Lend Lease

Structural Engineers: BuroHappold

Exhibition Designers: Thinc Design

Photographers: Tom Hennes/Thinc Design

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Project Description

 

To honor the memory of those who tragically lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the heart of the former World Trade Center site in New York, serves as a complement to the National September 11 Memorial. The museum tells the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental artifacts, while commemorating the life of every victim of the 2001 and 1993 terrorists attacks.

 

Rather than treating the museum as an “icon containing exhibits”, Davis Brody Bond (DBB) has designed a structure that is made up of a “series of icons, which are the exhibit”. As visitors embark on their journey through the 125,000-square-foot, subterranean museum, their experience is broken up into four primary components

 

The first is entrance and orientation. Visitors will pass through the Snohetta-designed Museum Pavilion, whose large atrium provides ample amounts of natural light into depths of the museum while displaying two structural columns rescued from the original towers. The visitors will then descend into the first, below-grade level of the Memorial Hall, transitioning their senses from the bright and active life of the plaza to the quieter, more contemplative environment of the museum.

 

The procession continues through introductory exhibits positioned along a gradually sloped path. The surface is described as a “meandering ribbon”, whose gentle slope guides the visitor down “as if drawn by gravity”. At key points along this route there are carefully composed views and overlooks into the space beyond, revealing key artifacts and historic resources. At this point the vast scale of the site becomes clear.

 

Once visitors reach the last viewing platform, they will descend the final stretch of the path to the ‘bedrock’ level, known as the West Chamber, which contains the foundations of the original World Trade Center. Here, the visitor will arrive at the third stage of his/her experience. At this lowest level of the museum and WTC complex, the original column bases and concrete footings that supported the twin towers are exposed in the floor slab of the museum, defining a clear outline of the former towers. A surviving retaining wall or the original WTC, known as the “slurry wall”, is exposed and serves as a backdrop for the 36-foot “Last Column” - the final piece of steel structure that was removed from Ground Zero, whose surfaces had been gradually covered with moving written testaments and photos during the rescue and recovery effort.

 

The fourth and final stage of the visitor’s experience is a gradual ascent by escalator from ‘bedrock’ back to Memorial Hall, framing controlled views out to the aluminum-clad tower volumes. Arrival in Memorial Hall is followed by a walk back up to the plaza, the memorial fountains and the active life of the city.

 

With an expected six million visitors per year, security, sustainability and operational efficiency are important components of the design. The Memorial, which was opened on September 11, 2011, and the Museum are designed achieve a LEED Gold rating. The project is also required to meet site specific New York State Executive Order 111 Sustainable Design Guidelines. Design initiatives include reduction in potable water use, increased ventilation, specification of low emitting materials, enhanced commissioning and refrigerant management. The project seeks innovation credits to provide 100% shading of non-pervious surface after five years through extensive tree planting and to design the building to educate visitors on the benefits of green buildings through displays and public programs.