A Journey of Souls

The design of the site conveys a journey of souls in a confluent whirlpool design of spiral pathways. It extends the architectÕs vision of leading participants down into a sacred space of reflection in "a procession with deliberation." The whirlpool experience leads pedestrians along pathways that spiral inward from the outside boundaries of site. These pathways make for a gentle transition from pedestrian grade to the site level, cushioning the emotional and spiritual journey into the site. On the pathways, participants move past a series of wing-like sculptural monuments, honoring the lives of lost loved ones. Ultimately, the pathways lead downward into the center of the site, drawing visitors towards a cathedral-like sanctuary made of site remnants that can be touched as the participant enters. The atmosphere within the sculpture catapults upward with an epiphany of soaring bird sculptures. In a helix pattern, they push towards the sky and heavens, reiterating with experiential potency a metaphor for a journey of souls in transcendence and Daniel Liebskind's concept of "vitality [...] optimism in the aftermath of tragedy; life victorious."