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(F)LIGHT : the luminous roofscape

One of five Stage II Finalists (of 1011 Stage I entries) for a US30M Flight 93 9/11 National Memorial, Pennsylvania, United States | Un-built

Unlike previous September 11 memorials, the Flight 93 National Memorial was charged with the unique challenge of remembering the tragedy through the collective acts of courage and sacrifice shown by passengers and crew which resulted in the saving of countless lives. Such is best described in Flight 93's Mission Statement:

A common field one day. A field of honor forever. May all who visit this place remember the collective acts of courage and sacrifice of the passengers and crew, revere this hallowed ground as the final resting place of those heroes, and reflect on the power of individuals who choose to make a difference.

There are, according to writer Marcel Proust, two different kinds of memories. The first found in a nostalgia located in the past, "... touched with a sentimentality that remembers things not as they were, but as we want to remember them". The next is what is known as a living memory, "... which is active in the present and devoid of nostalgia for a remembered past". Both are equally valid means of memorializing for they inevitably lead to the same result - a reconciliation with the past.

The manner in which the memorial chooses to address the issue of memory and healing was critical - the choice between nostalgia or living memory would inevitably effect contemporary and future generations. Many perceive healing through nostalgia as a temporary means of reconciliation due to its tendency to veil one's perception of the truth, it embraces one in the ecstasy of comfort and ease. Memorializing nostalgia is unfortunately detrimental to the collective memory of a civilization. It is cosmetic and a proponent of Jacob's 'cultural mass amnesia' in which future generations lose touch with the 'living experience' of that which truly unfolded.

Called (F)Light: the luminous roofscape, the memorial attempts to capture the solemn yet inspirational journey of the passengers and crew of Flight 93 through the harmony of sculptural form, light and landscape. It explores the act of reconciling family members, a nation, the world and future generations to the tragedy that transpired through 'living memory' manifested in the 'scar' and absence in the 'void'.