Capturing a Sense of Hope in the Aftermath of 9/11

The 9/11 Memorial &Museum asked koolgirlposse to create several concepts for a fresh visual interpretation of a freestanding installation in their core Historical Exhibiton. The challenge was to create a visual gesture of the minutes after the World Trade Center had fallen, the dust beginning to settle. This freestanding installation component was meant to display the personal narratives of survivors via the personal objects they carried that day. The design concepts all improve the visitor circulation around the installation; work with the footprint of the current installation component; maintain continuity with the environmental design; and allow for easy maintenance and rotation of the objects.

koolgirlposse was inspired by the verticality of the mesh-like facade that continued to stand after the towers had fallen as they symbolized a spirit of endurance. This was captured in the gestures of the framework of two of the display concepts. In a softer approach, we captured the quietude of the aftermath by using a layered gradation over the objects on display to create a sense of hopeful discovery of their owners' personal stories.