World Trade Center Memorial animation Ground Zero

Animation based on the design of our WTC Memorial entry for the international competition.

The centerpiece of our "Memorial Park" is a pair of two hand-carved, crystal sculptures set within a circular, reflecting pool; a pedestal of water. At sunset, the two sculptures are illuminated from the their bases casting two vertical beacons of light into the sky.

The crystal sculptures carved curvilinear forms refract and reflect sunlight and shimmering water throughout the day and, when illuminated at night, create a dramatic, symphony of light.

Carved into the exterior granite wall of the circular reflecting pool are all the names of the fallen. Because this "Ring of Dedication" is located at ground level, the names are intimately accessible.

The Memorial is set inbetween the footprints of the towers. The footprints are park-like settings which have wide, garden-like paths that link them to the Memorial.

The idea was to imbue the Memorial with an emotional resonance of resurrection, clarity, simplicity and peace. The hope is to feel uplifted in its presence; not despair.

Wherther or not we succeeded, at least we tried.

102 minutes that changed the world (9/11) Part 4

Early in the morning on September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners en route to San Francisco and Los Angeles from Boston, Newark, and Washington, D.C. (Washington Dulles International Airport).[1] At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the World Trade Centers North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.[7][8] Another group of hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.[9] A fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93, whose ultimate target was thought to be either the United States Capitol or White House, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m.[10][11]
During the hijacking of the airplanes, the hijackers used weapons to stab and/or kill aircraft pilots, flight attendants and passengers. Reports from phone callers from the planes indicated that knives were used by the hijackers to stab attendants and in at least one case, a passenger, during two of the hijackings.[12][13] Some passengers were able to make phone calls using the cabin airphone service and mobile phones,[14][15] and provide details, including that several hijackers were aboard each plane, that mace or other form of noxious chemical spray, such as tear gas or pepper spray was used, and that some people aboard had been stabbed.[16][17][18][19] The 9/11 Commission established that two of the hijackers had recently purchased Leatherman multi-function hand tools.[20] A flight attendant on Flight 11, a passenger on Flight 175, and passengers on Flight 93 mentioned that the hijackers had bombs, but one of the passengers also mentioned he thought the bombs were fake. No traces of explosives were found at the crash sites, and the 9/11 Commission believed the bombs were probably fake.[12]
On United Airlines Flight 93, black box recordings revealed that crew and passengers attempted to seize control of the plane from the hijackers after learning through phone calls that similarly hijacked planes had been crashed into buildings that morning.[21] According to the transcript of Flight 93s recorder, one of the hijackers gave the order to roll the plane once it became evident that they would lose control of the plane to the passengers.[22] Soon afterward, the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at 10:03:11 a.m. local time (14:03:11 UTC). Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, organiser of the attacks, mentioned in a 2002 interview with Yosri Fouda, an al Jazeera journalist, that Flight 93s target was the United States Capitol, which was given the code name "the Faculty of Law".[23]
Three buildings in the World Trade Center Complex collapsed due to structural failure on the day of the attack.[24] The south tower (2 WTC) fell at approximately 9:59 a.m., after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175.[24] The north tower (1 WTC) collapsed at 10:28 a.m., after burning for approximately 102 minutes.[24] When the north tower collapsed, debris heavily damaged the nearby 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC) building. Its structural integrity was further compromised by fires, and the building collapsed later in the day at 5:20 p.m.[25]
The attacks created widespread confusion among news organizations and air traffic controllers across the United States. All international civilian air traffic was banned from landing on US soil for three days.[26] Aircraft already in flight were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico. News sources aired unconfirmed and often contradictory reports throughout the day. One of the most prevalent of these reported that a car bomb had been detonated at the U.S. State Departments headquarters in Washington, D.C.[27] Soon after reporting for the first time on the Pentagon crash, CNN and other media also briefly reported that a fire had broken out on the Washington Mall.[28] Another report went out on the AP wire, claiming that a Delta Air Lines airliner—Flight 1989—had been hijacked. This report, too, turned out to be in error; the plane was briefly thought to represent a hijack risk, but it responded to controllers and landed safely in Cleveland, Ohio

9/11 CONSPIRACY: A CONTROLLED DEMOLITION DESTROYED THE WTC!!

Marvin P. Bush, the presidents younger brother, was a principal in a company called Securacom that provided security for the World Trade Center, United Airlines, and Dulles International Airport. The company was backed by KuwAm, a Kuwaiti-American investment firm on whose board Marvin Bush also served.
According to its present CEO, Barry McDaniel, the company had an ongoing contract to handle security at the World Trade Center "up to the day the buildings fell down."

The company lists as government clients "the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S Air force, and the Department of Justice," in projects that "often require state-of-the-art security solutions for classified or high-risk government sites."

Stratesec (Securacom) differs from other security companies which separate the function of consultant from that of service provider. The company defines itself as a "single-source" provider of "end-to-end" security services, including everything from diagnosis of existing systems to hiring subcontractors to installing video and electronic equipment. It also provides armored vehicles and security guards.

The Dulles Internation contract is another matter. Dulles is regarded as "absolutely a sensitive airport," according to security consultant Wayne Black, head of a Florida-based security firm, due to its location, size, and the number of international carriers it serves.

Black has not heard of Stratesec, but responds that for one company to handle security for both airports and airlines is somewhat unusual. It is also delicate for a security firm serving international facilities to be so interlinked with a foreign-owned company: "Somebody knew somebody," he suggested, or the contract would have been more closely scrutinized.

Heightened WTC Security Alert Had Just Been Lifted

The World Trade Center was destroyed just days after a heightened security alert was lifted at the landmark 110-story towers, security personnel said yesterday [September 11]. Daria Coard, 37, a guard at Tower One, said the security detail had been working 12-hour shifts for the past two weeks because of numerous phone threats. But on Thursday [September 6], bomb-sniffing dogs were abruptly removed. [NY NewsDay]

Pre-9/11 World Trade Center Power-Down

On the weekend of 9/8, 9/9 there was a power down condition in WTC tower 2, the south tower. This power down condition meant there was no electrical supply for approx 36 hrs from floor 50 up... "Of course without power there were no security cameras, no security locks on doors and many, many engineers coming in and out of the tower."

Marvin Bush was in New York on 9/11

Tightrope walk across World Trade Center (1974)

Philippe Petit takes a daring stroll

IMATS 2008- International Makeup Trade Show-Pasadena, CA

Aaah, what a wonderful day it was :)

Special guests: two powerhouses of YouTube's Makeup Guru community--can you guess who they might be? Enjoy the video!

Music: "Take 5" by David Brubeck and "Vamp" by the Spice Girls

I Will Remember You (Tribute To World Trade Center 911)By Amy G.

On September 11, 2001, Islamic extremists hijacked four commercial airliners resulting in the worst terrorist attack ever committed on United States soil. The attack was a series of coordinated suicide missions: Two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. A third airliner crashed into the Pentagon near Washington D.C. The fourth aircraft, intended for the United States Capitol, was redirected after passengers and flight crew launched a revolt against the hijackers. That plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In total, 2,973 people, including nearly 400 rescue workers, were killed in the attacks.

For more information on the events of 9/11 please visit History.com's 9/11 site.


Timeline

8:45 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175, also from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
9:17 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 a.m. All New York area bridges and tunnels are closed.
9:40 a.m. The FAA halts all flight operations for the first time in U.S. history.
9:43 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.
9:45 a.m. The White House evacuates.
10:05 a.m. The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
10:10 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10:28 a.m. The World Trade Center's north tower collapses.
12:04 p.m. Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the hijacked airplanes, is evacuated.
4 p.m. U.S. officials name Saudi militant Osama bin Laden as lead suspect in the attacks.
5:20 p.m. The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses.
7:02 p.m. New York bridges open to outbound traffic.
8:30 p.m. President Bush addresses the nation saying, "The U.S. government will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them."
9/11 Facts

Each of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center had a jet fuel capacity of nearly 24,000 gallons.
All international civilian air traffic was banned from landing on U.S. soil for three days.
Among the fatalities were 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 23 New York City Police Department officers, and 37 Port Authority Police Department officers.
Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., an investment bank on the 101st-105th floors of One World Trade Center, lost more employees than any other firm: 658.
Approximately 16,000 people were below the impact zones in the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks, most of whom evacuated before the towers collapsed.
7 World Trade Center, 6 World Trade Center, 5 World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, the Marriott World Trade Center and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church were also destroyed in the attacks.
Mohamed Atta's luggage, which did not make it onto American Airlines Flight 11, contained papers that revealed the identity of all 19 hijackers.
Unlike many stereotypes of hijackers or terrorists, most of the attackers were educated and came from well-to-do backgrounds.
The New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and NASDAQ did not open on September 11 and remained closed until September 17.
2,833 applications for victim's compensation were received from the families of those killed.
Aftermath
War on Terror The Bush administration declared a U.S. Global War on Terrorism following the September 11 attacks. Through economic and military sanctions, global surveillance and intelligence sharing, the war on terror aimed to bring Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and to prevent the emergence of other terrorist networks. In 2002, the United States led the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In 2003, U.S. officials' speculation on Saddam Hussein's possible involvement created a case for the invasion of Iraq.

International Support Several countries, including the UK, India, Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, China, Canada, Russia, Pakistan, Jordan, Mauritius, Uganda and Zimbabwe introduced anti-terrorism legislation and froze the bank accounts of businesses and individuals suspected of having al-Qaeda connections.

Congressional Legislation In direct response to 9/11, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act and the Patriot Act. The latter was sharply criticized because it allowed law enforcement to invade citizens' privacy and eliminated judicial oversight in such matters. In addition, under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, 80,000 Arab and Muslim immigrants were fingerprinted and registered following September 11.