Questions and Answers about the
Design, the Partners and the Future
Click here for briefings and reports about the design.
Click here for questions and answers with the architect of
the Flight 93 memorial 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. |