At the Edge of the Abyss

The New York Review of Books ^ | 9/21/2011 | Martin Filler

[BfloGuy]

I wept, but about what precisely I cannot say. Much to my amazement, after having done everything possible to shut out the ubiquitous maudlin press coverage that engulfed the tenth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, I visited Michael Arad’s National September 11 Memorial in New York City—which was dedicated exactly a decade after the disaster—to find that it impressed me at once as a sobering, disturbing, heartbreaking, and overwhelming masterpiece.

Arad’s inexorably powerful, enigmatically abstract pair of abyss-like pools, which demarcate the foundations of the lost Twin Towers, comes as a surprise to those of us who doubted that the chaotic and desultory reconstruction of Ground Zero could yield anything of lasting value. It is generally held that great architecture requires the participation of a great client, but just how this stunning result emerged from such a fraught and contentious process will take some time for critics and historians to sort out.

[BfloGuy]

Some 28 years ago, I visited D.C. with a friend on our way to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break. As we were already there, we decided to visit the new Viet Nam Memorial. Already the cynic, at 30 years old, I figured it would be a wasted trip, but was swept away with emotion as I descended the walk and read the names.

It was an unexpectedly emotional experience. This memorial, at Ground Zero, holds the promise of the same experience. I hope so -- and I can't help but wonder why I haven't heard more about it.

[BfloGuy]

Sorry, pictures here

[Popman]

I had the same experience at the “Wall” I took my kids and reminded them this is the result when politicians run wars

[GOPJ]

Beautiful post. Thanks.

[hinckley buzzard]

Probably haven't heard much about it because the news was drowned out by the ignoramuses yelling about how "after ten years all we have is a hole in the ground." We also have a completed new WTC 7 And a Freedom Tower (WTC 1) which is well over fifty stories tall at this point and will top out at 1776 feet soon enough.

Some people just can't handle progress.