Art History 101. Pantheon incorporates both visibly and invisibly in its design and is the most highly regarded example of these features that are exhibited in Western and Eastern philosophies, architectural and urban planning.

The 9/11 memorial is an urban feature that idolizes the symptomology of Rem Koolhaas’s “The Generic City” theory; ironically in the middle of NYC. The initial act, the ‘war’ and the monument are about identity.

I watched a TV programme about a Staten Island dentist Simon Leventhal whose hobby, for 30 years before 9/11, was photographing the Twin Towers. But on the actual day he was on vacation in California. In the most emotional part of the broadcast he explained his feelings about not being there on the day – and his personal shame at a voyeuristic wish that he had been there to photograph the disaster. The concept of voyeurism fits with a sexual and gendered analysis of the event.

Elaborating on this masculine-feminine dynamic it is worth contrasting the sudden violence of the twin towers as a spectacular event (watched by a global population, over in a few hours)with the subtlety of a garden (developing over many many years, appreciated at a very intimate level.

Nice adaptation of Descartes. I like the idea that a ‘more-spiritual’ life, contrasts with a ‘more-material’ life and is more a question of how one lives than of a metaphysical stance on doctrinal issues.

The better life as you say, must be partially a materially better life and partially a spiritually better life. Perhaps it is a balance between these two?

Perhaps they should have said of God, ‘He thinks, therefore He is!’

However, if we are considering 1) the act 2) the victims of the act 3) the responses or reactions to the act by various parties (ie the people, the families, the government, other nations, the united nations) there are different aspects to consider which might require different symbolic representations.

Or perhaps the memorial is only concerned with the internal – the victims, the families, the people and the government? (Let us remember what happened).

It takes a considerable time for the events to crystallize so that their meaning in history can start to be appreciated.

Without fully understanding the context and events of Saddam and the Iraqi Marsh Arabs the proposal for Saddam’s Victory Arch seems to be very appropriate: the landscape setting is very fragile and ephemeral and the Victory Arch in contrast is imposing and dominates its setting. It seems to mirror the events which took place.

Do you suppose the Marsh Arab’s might approve of your proposal?
[ http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2011/04/pope-concedes-heaven-is-not-real-place.html ] It is interesting that archaeology might be able to locate Paradise afterall even if it is struggling a bit with Heaven!

Yes, the circle is a symbol of heaven in Indian and Chinese culture but not, I think, in Europe.
I agree entirely with your analysis of the monument as built. But you seem to be saying that the memorial is and should be a memento of what happened. This is a strong argument: ‘let us remember what happened and leave the interpretation of the surrounding events to history’. If this was the intention I think we should view it as a postmodern memorial: not political, not religious, not sentimental, not viewing the departed as heroes or victims or anything, unrelated to the War on Terror. I like it.
What do you think of my proposal for Saddam’s Victory Arch?

The squares are the perfect historic reference to the (now mythical) towers. The reflected sky the place they once occupied and from which the attacks came.Everyone comments on the clear blue sky of that day. The water falling into the reflection of the sky suggests an upward movement of the water, while we know it is being pulled back towards earth and into a (square) abyss. This sets up a great dynamic. 9/11 was all about the sky and falling. Buildings falling. People falling.

Icarus fell. America was caught with its pants down.The men with the box cutters outsmarted the men with the cruise missiles.

If the shape in the centre was circular, rather than square, would we get to heaven any quicker?