Daniel Libeskind's design remains basis for WTC master plan

Two years after September 11, 2001, officials of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) have in place a master plan to guide the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. Architect Daniel Libeskind will deliver a modified plan this fall, with site preparation scheduled to begin next spring and the cornerstone of the site's signature building, the Freedom Tower, slated to be laid late next summer.

In the ongoing competition to design a permanent memorial at the WTC site, jurors have winnowed through thousands of entries and are expected to announce five to eight finalists later in September. The memorial selection process should conclude within a couple of months with the announcement of a single winning design.

Arrival at these stages follows many months of sometimes fitful but ultimately fruitful progress.

Choosing a Plan

In July 2002, the LMDC had unveiled six possible plans for the rebuilding of the WTC site. At a well-attended event at the Javits Convention Center, however, it became clear that this first round of designs failed to inspire many New Yorkers.

Officials responded by initiating a new wide-open design competition that eventually yielded nine proposals from seven distinguished design teams encompassing 27 firms, architects, and artists from around the world. Thousands visited the Winter Garden to see models of the latest designs, which generated more than 12,000 public comments.

Daniel Libeskind is architect of WTC master plan

Libeskind has since signed contracts with the LMDC and Port Authority to further refine the master site plan, create design guidelines for nearby commercial development, and oversee development of the World Trade Center memorial and cultural district. (The Polish-born, Bronx-raised Libeskind recently relocated his architectural practice to New York from Berlin and has been elevated to an increasingly public stage, not only in Lower Manhattan and New York, but around the world.)

Environmental review began when the LMDC's board approved a draft site plan in June; a public hearing on the plan followed shortly thereafter. A relatively speedy review schedule is slated to end next spring.

Construction proceeds at and near the WTC site

A Permanent Memorial

Rebuilding officials have long stated that a permanent memorial to the more than 3,000 victims of both the 9/11 attacks and the earlier 1993 bombing would be the centerpiece of a rebuilt World Trade Center site.

In August 2002, New York Gov. George Pataki and New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey dedicated a viewing area at the WTC to serve as an interim acknowledgement of the events of 9/11 until a permanent memorial is built. As proposed, the viewing area would eventually feature display panels with the names of all victims installed along Church Street between Fulton and Liberty Streets. It opened in sections beginning in September and was complete by December of last year.

Even as it worked to develop a master plan for the overall WTC site, the LMDC was developing guidelines for the memorial. Officials assembled two committees -- representing the family members of victims, area residents, survivors including rescue personnel, arts, and architecture professionals, and community leaders -- to develop a draft mission statement and program.

A distinguished jury is currently deliberating to choose memorial-design finalists

By the end of June, more than 13,500 respondents had registered to participate in the competition; one month later, a record 5,200 entries had been submitted from 49 U.S. states and 62 nations.

After a series of meetings to solicit public input regarding the memorial, the 13-member jury began to review entries in August. While there is no firm timetable, officials have suggested that the jury will select five to eight finalists this month or next, with a final winning design to be announced later in the fall.