It has been 13 years since the deadly attacks on the former World Trade Centre. The memories of that day are still fresh on my memory. It wasn’t until some weeks past that I really understood the repercussions of the attack. I had not heard of the term terrorist by then.
photography by: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
Today, a memorial rises in the place where a tower crumbled under the weight of fundamentalist attack. Ground zero has finally been opened to visitors thanks to the recent commissioning of the memorial museum . At first sight , it is in sharp contrast to the former tower as it is barely a few floors high. Its inclined facades also add to the contrast with the former tower. The architects describe their response as a way to communicate with the horizontal nature of the site.The reflective facades give it a strong and remarkable presence within the existing urban fabric added to the undoubtable memorial aura of ground zero.
photography by: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
Within the September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, the architects maintained two of the structural columns of the original towers in the atrium.Entrance to the museum is via the ground level and descend into lower levels where the main programme unfolds.
Sustainable features are incorporated in the design with the museum on course to attain LEED gold rating.
photography by: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO
Hassan Yakubu is an editor at Arch2O with a deep academic and professional background in architecture, planning, and urban infrastructure. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Cornell University, his editorial focus spans climate urbanism, sustainability transitions, and the intersection of infrastructure and STS. Hassan brings a sharp critical lens shaped by fieldwork in Accra and policy research across Africa. With prior experience leading pedagogical initiatives and contributing to architectural practices in Rabat and Accra, his writing brings clarity, academic depth, and a global perspective to contemporary urban issues and design thinking.