On this trip, I visited the downtown financial district in Manhattan. In this area, I got to see the World Trade Center Memorial and the Oculus, along with the mall inside.
Starting with the World Trade Center Memorial, I liked the structure and the design of it. I think it contributes well as an landscape to the city, and to the landscape of the financial district area. I saw that the structure commemorates the victims of the attack on 9/11/01, by having their names on the side of the structure, where everyone can see it as they are walking by. However one thing that I didn’t feel was the eerie feeling that a lot of people have said to felt when seeing the site. I wasn’t at the country or state when the attack of the twin towers happened, so that is why I don’t feel the strong connection that many people felt when seeing it. It makes me realize that this memorial affects people depending on if they got to witness the event that occurred. For those people who were in the country and got to witness the attack first hand or on the TV, seeing this site will give them flashbacks, memories, or eerie feelings that other might not have. To me, this honestly is just another memorial to me. This isn’t out of disrespect to the victims, but it is because I hadn’t experience 9/11 the way many people did during the time, so I don’t feel the connection to it. Also one thing about the structure that I would criticize is the design. I think the design is wonderful but I don’t understand the concept. If I were to see this structure without having knowledge that it was called the World Trade Center Memorial, I would no idea what this structure meant. The design itself is already solid and makes a statement, but there could be more things done with it or remind people it’s a memorial for the victims of 9/11.
The next part of the trip is the Oculus. The Oculus is a large white structure that looks almost like a dinosaur skeleton. Seeing it at first glance, it is an amazing architectural piece that catches your eyes. In the financial district where there are many skyscrapers and mundane colors, this bright white peculiar shaped structure stands out in the open and becomes the center of attention. On the inside when you go inside, the walls, floor, ceilings, are white as well. One could argue that this was done on purpose by the designer to make thing place stand out and symbolize “new life”. But by making this stand out, some would call out the designer and say the structure was built to feed his ego. Having it built in the heart of the financial district and making it standout not fitting in with the culture of New York City, it screams, “me, me ,me”. However, while this might be true, it could also be interpreted more positively. This structure could signify the diversity and boldness New York City offers. Not everything has to be uniform and in line with everything else. There is room for difference, innovation, and new ideas. Structures like the Oculus could be inspiration and the beginning of new architectural designs or for people to realize it’s okay to be different and stand out, like the dinosaur skeleton structure in the middle of the financial district. One thing that I do have to criticize is the mall that is inside. I feel that the stores inside are not catered for everyone. It was catered for more wealthy individuals.
