A short distance from the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island stands Postcards, a minimalist marble sculpture stretching 30 feet in the air. This understated memorial to the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy was designed by New York architect Masayuki Sono, whose entry was selected from 179 submissions. Sono purposefully avoided any archetypal symbols of patriotism, looking instead for something simple and graceful. Erected in 2004 to honor the lives of the 274 Staten Island victims, the two structures curl like wings or wilting paper, each appearing on the verge of flight, as if preparing to take off and deliver messages to deceased loved ones.
Image via Flickr user Nitin aabsn
The interior of the memorial is lined with granite plaques detailing the lives of the deceased. Each plaque is accompanied by a distinct silhouette profile of the victim.
Image via Flickr user flippy whale
“I didn’t want anything too grand or abstract, just something very direct, almost childlike, a common object used all around the world,” said Sono. “People can see various things in it, use their own imagination, and find different meanings.”
Image via Flickr user mira66
The memorial overlooks the New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and a distant Lower Manhattan. The site continues to be a place of quiet rumination and reflection since its unveiling 10 years ago. Day or night, Postcards is an elegant and calm refuge for anyone wishing to ruminate on a difficult piece of American history.
