My biggest and brightest idea regards the towers themselves. I am leery of plans to rebuild the towers exactly for fairly obvious reasons: creating a newer and more tempting target, the probability of difficulty renting spaces, and a glazing over of the memory of what used to be. On the other hand, not rebuilding could represent defeat - something we certainly do not want to accept. Lastly, there is some consideration given to the beautiful New York City skyline and these two towering icons of American strength.

It is for these reasons and many others that I propose a concept for a World Trade Center Monument. I suggest the we exactly reconstruct the towers in outline only. That is - an empty wire form structure as big and tall as the former towers - in fact precisely copied to recreate the magnificent skyline, but one can see the sky behind them and through them. They should be substantial in form only: hollow in representation of the over 5000 (now 6000?) fellow humans lost. There would be no fear because there would be nothing to destroy. Just this emptiness, this hole, this shell of those lost souls and ideals.

I have spent this week methodically tracing that skyline with a Sharpie and fantasizing about this massive creation without the faintest idea whether it is structurally possible. The sense of enormity left behind for future generations to look at the night sky from inside the imaginary walls would surely be a meaningful salute. Would they do it? The tourism, granted monies and tax write-offs for the property owner in supplace for the rental income is a detail that I wince to mention. I imagine long horizontal strips of shiny gold that act as supports and represent that familiar window "light" speckling the facade. I imagine, too, steel stamped with flowers along the interior supports and the sub space being used for a museum naming and remembering all lost and documenting the attack so that we might never forget. See, for me it could never be the same - and I don't think it should be.
posted by jenifer constantine on 7:28 AM