343 polished bronze stars.

This proposed memorial honors the heroism of the firefighters and policemen that died on the morning of September the 11th, 2001. It consists of 343 polished bronze stars, suspended in the air, each supported by another. The stars are large – about the size of a person – and they rise out of a still black reflecting pool. At night, up-lights would illuminate the memorial from within.

The memorial honors the bravery of the individual firefighter, each represented by a star, and their grouping together manifests the magnitude of their sacrifice. The clustering of the stars suggests the enormity of the event – and the enormous scope of their heroism. Cast in polished bronze, each star reflects the others. The stars have a physical presence and gravity; they are direct. They do not attempt to make an abstraction of the event.

The architect who designed this memorial believes that the process of rebuilding our damaged city has taken place in a backwards fashion – a memorial to the firefighters should have been our first priority. This proposal is intended to address this most important task and respond to the near absence of public discussion on such a memorial.

Aaron McDonald Architect, One Union Square 903, New York, New York 10003