While the natural inclination is to look up as you're wandering through New York City, you can find a lot of interesting things by looking down. Among the surprising elements embedded in the ground is a new memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks: a floor inlay at the Oculus Transportation Hub that highlights the "Wedge of Light" phenomenon.
The "Wedge of Light" is architectural feature conceived by World Trade Center master plan architect Daniel Libeskind. Every year on September 11th, when the sun passes through the skylight of the Oculus, two columns of light sweep over the floor from 8:46 am, when the first plane struck, until to 10:28 am, when the second tower collapsed.
Photo Courtesy of PANYNJ
Now, that path is marked by new permanent inlays on the Oculus floor, installed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. At the center of the installation is a glass and marble circle that reads: “HERE THE SUN STANDS AT 10:28 AM ON SEPTEMBER 11, COMPLETING A WEDGE OF LIGHT.” This centerpiece is flanked by inscriptions that trace the axis of the sun’s angle and path from 8:46 am to 10:28 am.
“Permanently weaving that wedge of light into the literal foundation of the Oculus is a fitting tribute to the memory of those first moments of the attacks and to the master design vision that our redeveloped campus is built around,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Future generations will be able to follow the path of the wedge of light across the campus using these markings to connect with how the events of that day and those terrible moments in time are with us still, woven into the campus itself.”
Photo Courtesy of PANYNJ
The Oculus contains a handful of remnants from the original World Trade Center, including a portion of the original 1970s subway concourse, and pieces of the Twin Towers' steel framework.
