FOURTEEN years ago, I was a senior high-school student. The day of September 11, 2001, I woke up and thought it was just another day at school, but when I entered the classroom, I heard talks about a plane crash. Throughout the day, I remember our teachers taking time out of our regular subjects to explain to us what had happened. Two commercial Boeing 767 jets had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, and another crash near the Pentagon had also been reported. These were not just any other plane crash. They were a terrorist attack. There was no television in school that day, so we all relied on the stories of our teachers who talked about the significance of the attacks and how this will profoundly impact life as we knew it. When I got home, I quickly rushed to watch the news on TV (at that time, there was no Twitter or Facebook) and it was only then that I realized the devastation the attacks left, not only in New York but throughout the whole world. Everyone was in shock over the images that flashed on the TV screen.
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, officially referred to as One World Trade Center and Two World Trade Center, were part of a complex composed of seven structures.
Located in downtown Manhattan, the two buildings were designed by Arch. Minoru Yamasaki in 1964 and completed in 1970 and 1971.
For two years and as Chicago’s Sears Tower was being built, the two towers were considered the tallest structures in the world at 110 stories tall. Its design and planning was advanced at the time, as framed tube structures provided the users with light coming through all the spaces as a result of its open plan with no columns or walls inside the space. Several events, including a fire and an earlier bombing failed to take down the Twin Towers, which were thought to be indestructible. The two hijacked planes that crashed into the towers took approximately 3,000 lives and reduced the structures to rubble.
New York is a city that does not give up immediately. Following the attacks, a council was established in November 2001 to oversee the rebuilding process. Polish-American Arch. Daniel Libeskind won the competition to redesign the complex and the memorial section was opened on September 11, 2011, to commemorate the attacks. One World Trade Center, on the other hand, opened much later—November 3, 2014.
I had the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial and a decade after the attacks, the mood at the site was still somber. The memorial is situated at the exact site where the old towers used to stand. In place of the towering structures are two reflecting pools of water falling into an abyss, serving as a reminder of the attacks. The pools are aptly named “Reflecting Absence,” in memory of the two mighty towers that once symbolized New York. Surrounding the two pools is a parapet marker engraved with the names of all who perished during the 9/11 attacks. At the site, one invariably falls into a reflective, prayerful mood. The two bodies of water are massive, overpowering and cold. At night, two beams of light flood the sky to commemorate and remember those whose lives were claimed by the tragedy. The memorial is surrounded by trees that stood aligned in a row, as if showing respect and reverence to the memorial. The landscaping was designed by Peter Walker, highlighting a single Callery Pear tree that survived the attack, discovered under the rubble in October 2001. It was later dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” as it was badly burned but had one living branch hanging on for dear life. Today the tree has become a symbol of hope, rebirth and revival, and is a reminder to everyone that the human spirit can and will persevere.
Since then, a lot has changed. Aviation standards were reviewed, revised and adapted around the world, new security innovations have been invented, building codes and structural systems for construction were also revised, to name a few. New York City appears to have risen from the darkness and the ashes of the attacks, what with all the new developments going on in the area, but those who witnessed the horrors of that September day beyond the images that played out on TV screens carry the memory with them.
As the world commemorates 9/11 with those who were deeply affected, we will never forget that dark day. We will also never forget the heroism and bravery of those who risked their lives to search for and help survivors.
Image credits: Nikki Boncan-Buensalido, theyeshivaworld.com