THE VIEWING WALL AT GROUND ZERO
PHASE ONE || PHASE TWO
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THE VIEWING WALL AT GROUND ZERO: PHASE ONE
On September 10, 2002, the first section of the Viewing Wall at Ground Zero was inaugurated by Governor George Pataki and other dignitaries at ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of 9/11. The simple design of the wall, a screen-like grid of galvanized steel, allows visitors to see into the Trade Center site and also carries a series of large fiberglass panels that feature information on the buildings and rebuilding, as well as history panels. Special alcoves of recessed bays contain panels with all the names of the victims of September 11, 2001.
The Skyscraper Museum collaborated with the Port Authority, the design firm Pentagram, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) to provide the history panels for the Viewing Wall. The Museum provided the images and captions that allow visitors to better understand the context of the construction of the Twin Towers and the urban history of the Trade Center site.
The first section of the Viewing Wall runs along the eastern edge of the site along Church Street from Cortland to Fulton. The next phases will complete the length of Church Street, then extend along the Liberty Street boundary at the southern edge of the site, a total of 1800 feet. About 25,000 people daily are estimated to visit the area and to view the panels.
The Viewing Wall is the result of a collaborative design process coordinated by the Port Authority design team with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. The team included members of the LMDC Family Advisory Council, local business, residential and museum communities and was coordinated with the Metropolitan Transit Authority and New York City Transit staff. The Skyscraper Museum served as historic curator to the project, providing reproductions of the historic photographs of the site that are featured on the panels. Museum director Carol Willis supplied the text that accompanies each photograph.
Design Architect: Port Authority Architecture Unit
Architect of Record: Voorsanger Associates
Wall Superstructure: Severud Associates
Platform Structure: Leslie Robertson Associates
Lighting Design: Domingo Gonzalez Design
Graphic Design: Pentagram
Historic Curator: The Skyscraper Museum
Go to PHASE TWO