Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the city of New York has worked to rebuild the World Trade Center site and return it to a lively and important center in one of the world’s most notable cities.
Snøhetta was commissioned to design the only building that actually sits on the memorial grounds. During the eight years of working with the project, the program has changed several times, however it has remained a cultural facility that is dedicated to visitor comfort and orientation, as well as a memorial room for the victim’s families, an auditorium, and cafe.
The design for the building embodies a careful reaction to the horizontal character of the memorial design with a lively organic form that allows the visitor to imagine the site and city in a broader sense. The building will provide each visitor with the opportunity to engage in the act of remembering and to ponder the consequences of forgetting.