The Twin Towers’ footprints are the emotional focus of the eight final Ground Zero memorial proposals to be unveiled today – with the area where the buildings stood marked with trees, water or, in at least one case, a descent to bedrock.
“I’m emotionally overwhelmed by what I’ve seen. The ideas are incredible,” said Charles Wolf, whose wife Katherine was killed on 9/11.
Victims’ relatives who previewed the designs last night described these highlights:
* Some designs put big portions of the Ground Zero pit at street level.
* Proposals vary for displaying victims’ names – grouping them by age, by where they were from, where they died in the complex, or listing them as rescuers and civilians.
* Some designs represent each of the 2,752 victims with a light.
* At least two designs get rid of the museum master planner Daniel Libeskind would hang over the pits. One design places the museum in the pit area.
The eight finalists were picked by a 13-member jury, which is expected to choose winning design by end of year. The designs will be on display at the Winter Garden over the next several weeks.