Snøhetta
National September 11
Memorial Museum Pavilion
World Trade Center Site
New York, NY
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, New York State and the City of New York have worked to rebuild the site and return it to a lively and important center in one of the world’s most notable cities. Snøhetta was selected to design the only building that actually sits on the memorial grounds.
Rendering by Squared Design Lab
During the four years of working with the project, the program has changed several times, however it has remained a cultural facility that is dedicated to visitor comfort and orientation. The current design, which has now completed the contract document stage, is scheduled for completion in 2011.
The design for the building embodies a careful reaction to the horizontal character of the memorial design while also providing the area with a lively organic form that allows the visitor to imagine the site and city in a broader sense. The building will provide each visitor with the opportunity to engage in the act of remembering and to ponder the consequences of forgetting.
Image courtesy Snøhetta
Certain characteristics of the Museum Pavilion will seem reminiscent of the original towers, while at other times these notions are only alluded to.
Image by Squared Design Lab
The alternating reflective treatment of the facade will mirror the changing seasons, revealing the Pavilion’s differing qualities throughout the year.
Image by Squared Design Lab
Image by Squared Design Lab
Two of the original steel tridents, rescued from the Twin Towers, will be enclosed within the Pavilion’s grand glass atrium, designed to direct light deep into the subterranean Memorial Museum. Although removed from their former location and function, they mark the site with their own profound aesthetic gesture.
Image by Squared Design Lab
Image by Squared Design Lab
Night View
Visitors to the Memorial Museum will enter through the Pavilion being presented with a sequence of experiences which allow for individual and personal encounters within an overall context of a historical narrative. The nature of the Museum is such that the shell of the space, comprising existing foundations, the slurry wall and other in-situ elements of the site is as much an artifact of 9/11 as the contents of the exhibitions.
Drawing courtesy Snøhetta
Site Section
Site area: 49,000 square feet
Expected completion: 2011
Client: National September 11
Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center
Architects: Snøhetta
August 2, 2010