Posted on 09/14/2005 4:54:48 PM PDT by jimbo123
The architect of the memorial to a plane downed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, said Wednesday he would work to satisfy critics who complained that it honors terrorists with its crescent-shaped design.
Designer Paul Murdoch said he is "somewhat optimistic" that the spirit of the design could be maintained.
"It's a disappointment there is a misinterpretation and a simplistic distortion of this, but if that is a public concern, than that is something we will look to resolve in a way that keeps the essential qualities," Murdoch, 48, of Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview.
Murdoch's design, "Crescent of Embrace," was selected last week during a meeting of the Flight 93 Advisory Commission from five narrowed down from 1,011.
The recommendation of the 15-member jury consisting of design professionals and family and community members still needs to be approved by the Interior Department.
Its shape is a circle broken by the flight pattern of the plane, which supporters have said follows the topography of the crash site.
Chris Martin, spokesman for Flight 93 National Memorial, said Wednesday family members and federal advisory commission members turned to Murdoch for assistance.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., sent a letter Tuesday to National Park Service Director Fran Mainella saying many have questioned the shape "because of the crescent's prominent use as a symbol in Islam — and the fact that the hijackers were radical Islamists."
Will Adams, spokesman for Tancredo, said Wednesday Tancredo would be happy with the changes only if the crescent shape is removed.
Murdoch said he's not sure exactly what changes he would make.
The memorial also consists of a chapel with 40 metallic wind chimes — one for each victim. It would include pedestrian trails and a roadway to a visitor center and the actual crash site. At the site would be a crescent-shaped cluster of maple trees and a white marble wall inscribed with the victims' names.
"We called it a crescent because it was a curving land form. We called it 'Crescent of Embrace' because of the symbolic gesturing of embracing this place," Murdoch said. "There's no desire to make this a divisive memorial."
Gordon Felt, of Remsen, N.Y., whose brother Edward Felt was killed on Flight 93, said he called Tancredo's office and said Tancredo should have held off on his criticism.
"I wish he would come out to Somerset and see topography of the land," Felt said.
Felt said it is natural for the design to evolve.
"I think the topography of the land would really dictate there would be some kind of arc," Felt said.
Flight 93 was flying to San Francisco from Newark, N.J., when it was hijacked and crashed 65 miles outside Pittsburgh. The official 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed it as passengers tried to take control of the cockpit.
That was my first thought........arc instead of crescent.
I do not like the design at all!!!
It's his spirit of the design I object to. Typical, in your face, A$$hole. Denial when you call him on it.
We're talking about a field in Pennsylvania. not the WTC.
I think they should do something like I saw on an earlier post. A group of the passengers pushing the drink cart into the door. You know like Iwo Jima with the Marines. What do you all think?
I think they should also put on it somewhere Lets Roll. Like the Verizon operator heard. That would be great, I think that the families would agree.
Aren't you just being a little to nice here. We have been fed the B.S. that art is spatial representation of an idea, ad infinitum.
If you believe that this, artist? living on the west coast, San Francisco no less, is unaware of what he is depicting, perhaps it's time for a redo of Art Appreciation 101.
PING TO YOU!
There's even more B.S. It doesn't follow any natural contour. It cuts across the contour. Sort of like a farmer running a water control terrace from the top to the bottom of a hill, instead of across. Just look at all the contour lines (levels) it crosses.
I was going to say that was simplistic, stupidly shallow attempt at sarcasm, But then, you knew that already didn't you?
Yes, that's exactly what I said, and exactly what I'm hoping for.
You should be an editor, maybe apply at the NY Times.
Ok, I listened to it. Lots of talk about the Tancredo, but no mention that it was people, ie bloggers, who first objected and brought the issue up. And going back to the diagram posted I posted, how do they not see this? Is this what they really want for their loved ones? Too ....weird.
Glad you listened to the interview. I posted it so people can listen and decide for themselves based on what the wife of the pilot who was killed on Flight 93 had to say. She sounds reasonable and I personally believe her.
its the same analog - just because the pilots wife likes the idea, that means we should defer all these decisions to the family members of the victims alone?
No, it's not the same.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1484676/posts?page=68#68
It is facing Mecca, is the most often supposition... and is a slap to the victims, and their families.
It would be nice to find out the opinion of the widow of Todd Beamer (sp?). Somehow I don't think she would agree with the warm, fuzzy platitudes that were expressed in the article responding to Rep. Tancredo's criticism. Just the other day the History Channel or National Geographic channel had a special about Flight 93. It thought it was strange at the time that there was no interview with Mrs. Beamer, but plenty of time for other family members. Could it have something to do with the fact that Mrs. Beamer is a devout Christian and as such as not likely to be taken in by the the garbage spouted by the "families".
It appears to be a battle victory monument more appropriately located somewhere outside of Damascus.
"This is the site where the Sons of Islam sacrificed all to slay the indolent infidels on their plane. They were not successful in achieving their primary objective of killing the American President, but their deaths were not in vane."
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