Questions and Answers about the
Design, the Partners and the Future
Click here for briefings and reports about the design.
Who are the partners for the Flight 93 National
Memorial that were involved in the memorial design process?
Four organizations partnered to organize and implement
the process for choosing a memorial design.
· The Families of Flight 93 is a
nonprofit organization of family members of the passengers
and crew who died on the flight.
· The Flight 93 Advisory Commission was
created by Congress to prepare “a report containing
recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and
long-term management of a permanent memorial at the crash
site.”
· The Flight 93 Memorial Task Force
serves as the Commission’s operational arm and includes
Flight 93 family members, community members, first
responders, educators, and other local, regional, and
national stakeholders.
· The National Park Service is the
federal agency charged with administering Flight 93 National
Memorial.
How was the design selected for the Flight 93 National
Memorial?
The design was selected through a deliberate, open, and
transparent public process.
· Over 1000 design entries were
received from design professionals, amateurs, and ordinary
people from 48 states and 27 countries. The designs were
exhibited and available for public comment in Somerset,
Pennsylvania and were posted on the
flight93memorialproject.org website.
· The juries were composed of some
design professionals but mostly family members, first
responders, and other people who were directly and
personally affected by the loss of loved ones.
· The selection process:
1. The Stage I jury analyzed over 1,000 submissions and
forwarded five finalist designs to the Stage II jury.
2. The five finalist designs were again exhibited for
public comment in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and were posted on
the flight93memorialproject.org website.
3. The Stage II jury, which was composed of noted design
professionals, Flight 93 family members, and community
leaders, reviewed the public comments and evaluated the
designs against the memorial’s mission statement.
o The Stage II jury decided that they would
select the winning design through a democratic process and
took a vote. The design with the most votes would be
selected as the winning design.
o The jury voted and selected Mr. Murdoch’s
design.
o To reinforce their support of the design,
the Stage II jury took a second, unanimous vote to support
the design created by Mr. Murdoch.
What is the shape of the memorial?
The natural topography of the area is a bowl with higher
elevations to the north and west so the landform provides
the circle shape of the memorial; the memorial rests and
follows the contours of the circle.
Is this circle "broken" at all?
The "circle of embrace" points your attention down to the
Sacred Ground, the crash site where the 40 heroes of Flight
93 gave their lives combating the terrorists. The
trees surrounding this "circle of embrace" are missing in
two places; first, where the flight path of the plane went
overhead (which is the location of the planned memorial
overlook and visitor center), and second, where the plane
crashed at the Sacred Ground (depicted by a ceremonial gate
and pathway into the Sacred Ground). In summary, the
memorial is shaped in a circular fashion, and the circle is
symbolically "broken" or missing trees in two places,
depicting the flight path of the plane, and the crash site,
in honor and remembrance of the heroes of Flight 93 who
heroically fought the terrorists over the skies of
Pennsylvania and gave their lives.
Where does the memorial focus attention?
Attention is focused on the Sacred Ground, the location
of the crash site. The memorial has not yet been sited
exactly on the landscape, pending further geotechnical, soil
and other investigations.
Is there Islamic religious symbolism incorporated into
the design of the Flight 93 National Memorial?
No. This memorial solely honors the heroic actions
of the 40 passengers and crew, who defeated the terrorists.
How do you know?
The intent of the architect was to honor the passengers
and crew. When questions were raised about the design, they
were taken very seriously. The National Park Service and the
Flight 93 partner organizations investigated the issues and
consulted with the Board of Directors of the Families of
Flight 93, university and religious scholars, all of whom
concluded that the memorial design does not imply or depict
religious iconography.
What do the Families of Flight 93 have to say about
the design of the memorial?
They support it. In a November 9, 2007 letter to
Congressman Tancredo they wrote, “The Families of Flight 93
overwhelmingly support the design and the design process,
and reaffirmed that support by a unanimous vote of the Board
of Directors as recently as two months ago.”
What do the Families of Flight 93 have to say about
the perceived Islamic symbolism in the memorial?
The Families of Flight 93 sent this letter to Congressman
Tom Tancredo on November 9, 2007 in response to his
criticism of the design. Additionally,
the President of the Families of Flight 93, representing the
Board of Directors, made this statement on May 2, 2008
in full support of the memorial.
What are the next steps?
The partners and the National Park Service are committed
to a national memorial that conveys the full honor due to
the heroes of Flight 93. We continue to work together to
build the memorial and commemorate those heroes who lost
their lives on September 11, 2001. |