LMDC Launches Exhibit of All WTC Memorial Submissions

In a tribute to the breadth and variety of submissions to the World Trade Center Memorial competition, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) has placed all 5,201 submissions online for viewing. Visitors to www.WTCSite Memorial.org may view the submissions by name of the submitter, by the nation or state in which the submitter resides, or by entry number. In total, teams from 63 nations and 49 states participated in the competition.

In a prepared statement, LMDC president Kevin M. Rampe said, “The overwhelming response to the Memorial competition was extraordinary and a true testament to the global impact of the attacks and the world’s unwavering commitment to honor the thousands of innocent victims. We are pleased to launch a virtual exhibition that allows each individual idea submitted to be acknowledged and viewed by visitors around the world.”

The LMDC launched the international World Trade Center Site Memorial competition in April 2003. Guidelines for the competition were developed based on the memorial mission statement and program. The mission statement guides the creation and evolution of the memorial, while the program provides specific elements to be included within the memorial, but leaves open how they should be incorporated.

After narrowing the field to eight finalists, the 13-member Memorial jury chose Michael Arad’s “Reflecting Absence” as the competition’s winner. A refined version of that entry, completed with the help of landscape architect Peter Walker, was unveiled January 14.