One granite step remembers each victim, engraved on the riser with a national flag, name (w/o rank) and age.  Often public servants identify as strongly with their group as they do their nation.  Perhaps the emblem of a military or public department would also be appropriate.

The names are grouped by Pentagon, Flight 93, WTC '93 and WTC '01 separated by a single blank riser.  The order is randomly selected with three exceptions; family members can be grouped together, members of the same operational unit can be grouped together and surviving family members with mobility challenges can request the step to be shifted closer to one of the 124 landings.

Unintentionally the New York skyline would again have “twin towers”.  Other extraordinary flukes are the 5 story stepping and height of the structure.  First, the Ascent Concept has five story atriums and the WTC master plan has five buildings of 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 stories.  The height of the structure was based on 13’-8” Floor-to-Floor (New 7WTC) making the peak calculated to be 1776’ above elevated deck… unintentionally the same height as the Studio Libeskind structure!

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To replace the communications mast lost on Tower 1 a 2000’ aerial has been proposed in the Tri-state area.  A more meaningful dimension of  2001’-9” (Months and Inches are base 12)for the mast at the peak would represent humanity’s hope that communications may someday end ignorance and therefore hatred. The Statue of Liberty can be seen in the background.  

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Only standard flat glass is used.  The circumferences are composed of 360 ocean blue glass windows and at the atriums 120 clear vertical glass windows.  The Stairway’s undulating clear glass roof is constructed with alternating simple flat triangular facets.  

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This is an early study with the wrong column color and no people but you get a better feeling for the stairs lacing through the atriums. 

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To set the orientation of the circular plan, solar angles are used.  Every September 11th at dawn the rising sun reflects off the full height, 87’ wide blue glass wall illuminating the Statue of Liberty. (Similar to Boston ’s Hancock Tower at dusk, pictured left.)

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100% of 4.7 acre site WTC Memorial site is dedicated for Memorial use only.

A.   Plaza 13% - All of the Plaza level is Memorial use.  13% of 4.7 acres is exposed from a birds eye view.

B. Elevated Deck 46% - Elevated deck includes Elevated Park, Corner and Woods.

C. Stairway 31% - The roof top atriums with the steps above.  Humanitarian office space below.

D. Rotunda 10%

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Cutaway Base View from Northeast.  See walk through.

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