Technology Memorials

9-11 Memorial-Competition Submissions-2003-NYC That Never Was-World Trade Center. Levine-0059/11 Memorial Competition Entry: John Zissovicki, architecture professor at Cornell University

There were more technologies in 2003 besides hypersonic sound and collimators – think Internet and other digital tools. Why shouldn’t these, too, help us remember? There were a mass of ideas in the Competition about these. Here are two from a chapter on technology using video, not new, but becoming the source for instant news like the 9/11 attacks.

The first is from John Zissovicki, who teaches architecture at Cornell University and also develops design work using technology, especially video,

“Television was the medium through which millions of people all over the world watched the terrorist attacks…live and through endless subsequent replays.”

John envisioned a field of TV monitors, one for each victim:

“There are several different shapes and sizes of monitors. Chance will determine the particular monitor for each victim, as chance determined who lived or died.”

The first is from John Zissovicki, who teaches architecture at Cornell University and also develops design work using technology, especially video,

“Television was the medium through which millions of people all over the world watched the terrorist attacks…live and through endless subsequent replays.”

John envisioned a field of TV monitors, one for each victim:

“There are several different shapes and sizes of monitors. Chance will determine the particular monitor for each victim, as chance determined who lived or died.”

9-11 Memorial-Competition Submissions-2003-NYC That Never Was-World Trade Center. Levine-0079/11 Memorial Competitino Entry: David, New York

Another example came from David in New York. I never found him to learn more details beyond his entry.

The entry included two ingenious uses of video, which, in a way provide opposite reflections for the visitor. The first he calls “the wall of introspective reflection”:

“Video cameras are placed directly opposite of the wall that will capture images of the back of people walking passing along the wall. And then…the images will be broadcast on the wall. The wall is acting like a mirror except that it is the back of people that will be seen.”

David called the other “The Wall of Extrospective Empathy”. This required expanding the boundary of the memorial throughout the world:

“Video links will be established among similar memorial sites… at places …affected by the September 11 event and its aftermath… Video images of people from other sites will be broadcast on the wall and vice-versa…visual connections and interactions are established.”

The two video walls together are intended to provide a powerful memorial function: “The tensions between here and there make us ponder over our relationship with others.”