To the ancient Greeks, the word for the human soul, psyche, was also their word for butterfly. The fragility, beauty, and elusive nature of the butterfly spoke of the human spirit. The butterfly affirms life.

This memorial is a butterfly conservancy, which will year-round represent, reaffirm, and honor the souls of those killed in the terrorist attacks. The initial population of the memorial will begin with 3022 butterflies, one for each victim of the attacks, and with time the butterfly population will swell just as did the support and compassion of all those who came to our aid in those dark hours
collage showing site context, memorial/butterfly conservancy in corner of site

all material copyright 2004 aaron mcdonald architect unless noted all rights reserved

Aaron McDonald Architect, 1 Union Square West 903, New York, New York 10003

world trade center site september 11 competition project.