For this milestone in Forbidden books class, we gave a presentation on what we would do if we had the choice to replace ground zero. I chose a dome shape with a river inside. I chose this because I believe a circular shape resembles peace. I also believe that a river resembles moving on from the events that occurred.
1st Impression: You will notice the dome shape gleaming through the city. Outside of the dome there will be jazz and slow music being played through speakers. Also outside will be photos taken on September 11th that show the horror that occurred that day.
5 senses: In the dome you will smell french cassis candles lit along the dome. The dome will have a peaceful aroma to it. You will see pictures of the 9/11 attacks all around the dome, in the exhibit room. When you walk into the biggest room of the dome, which will hold a man made river. In the “river room” you will hear the sounds of the slow river flowing.
Passage: To enter the dome, you will need to have an ultimate respect for the attacks of September 11th. You also have to have a respect for all religions, no biases will be accepted. If you need to pray or respect your religion there will be a multi-faith prayer room. When you enter the multi-faith prayer room; there will be a sign covering the wall. The sign will say “please respect all religious beliefs.” When you enter the room you will see a video that describes what it means to respect different cultures and religions. The video is not mandatory, but requested.
Interaction: Once you reach the center of the building, you will have conversed with other visitors, and connected with the feel of the building. You will reach the center of the dome feeling more in touch with the victims and their loved ones. In the exhibit room, there will be a wall. One group of people will draw the body of a person, another group will draw the heads. The visitors will put their heads and bodies together to connect with each other.
Transformation: When you leave this building, you will have discovered more about the attacks then when you arrived. You will feel more spiritually in touch with the victims, their families, and loved ones.