ABOUT

Context
Fifty-six Hoboken residents died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the most from any single community. The community decided to create a memorial at Pier A Park in Hoboken, New Jersey to honor the people who were lost.
The initial winning design proved too expensive, and the design went through several iterations before Demetri Sarantitis was ultimately chosen as the architect.
Borosilicate glass panels were the starting point of his concept, having been purchased for the original design. He envisaged a discreet line of glass panels, one for each resident who died, lit from beneath.
I was brought on board to design the lighting for the memorial. I saw the glass glowing softly from within, representing the soul of each person, still here with us in spirit.
I also envisaged subtle color effects in the lighting to communicate some of the deep feelings around the memorial, and a dynamic program where the lights come on slowly, rising up to full intensity at dusk and then tapering off to just a whisper of light.
The name of each resident was to be marked on the memorial in some way, and the lighting had to be able to highlight this. How to realize all of this in a way that was evocative and visually striking was a major priority of mine throughout the project.


Execution
With existing light fixtures, it’s challenging to make glass luminous. The light needs to enter at specific angles in order to make the glass glow. I designed and commissioned a completely different and new light fixture that would sit beneath the panels and illuminate the glass as envisaged.
Being an outdoor installation in a public space, and next to salty water, the fixture was designed to withstand harsh elements. A tamper-proof enclosure was created, and each lighting unit could be easily removed, replaced with a spare and repaired as needed. Controls were located in a nearby underground bunker with a wireless connection so the installation could be monitored remotely.
Existing light levels surrounding the site were considered at an early stage. The lighting level needed to be subtle to create the right feeling, but this wouldn’t work if the street and park lighting was too bright. Ultimately, the memorial was placed to one side of a living wall which successfully shields the memorial from a lot of the surrounding light.


Results
The 9/11 memorial at Hoboken was completed in September 2017. It can be visited freely by the public at all times at Pier A Park, Hoboken, New Jersey, adjacent to the Hoboken PATH Station.
It is a moving and beautiful monument that stands for hope in the community, and the lighting plays a significant part in conveying this message during the evenings.