The Fibonacci spiral – often called nature’s golden ratio.
The spiral, which can be written as a logarithm, appears in many forms, including flower petals, pinecones, seashells, the whorls of our fingers, even faces. It reminds us that life is mysterious and enduring, repeating itself in surprising ways.
Last Friday in Cos Cob Park, on the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, family members of lost loved ones walked up a brand new pathway replicating the Fibonacci spiral. The path curves up to the centerpiece of the 9/11 memorial, two glass towers recalling both the Twin Towers and the Tribute in Light memorial that shines annually in remembrance of the towers.
“Today is bittersweet, and we’re all so proud of what we’ve done here,” James Ritman, co-president of the Greenwich Community Projects Fund, said. “It’s been an incredible grassroots effort and a combined effort. It’s really remarkable and we’re so honored and proud of what we built here.
“I get choked up when I think about this, but one father told me, ‘I don’t need this memorial to remember my son. I think about him everyday.’ This is about future generations so they never forget September 11, 2001 and what happened that day.”
The glass towers at the top of the pathway are engraved with the names of those with Greenwich ties who lost their lives on 9/11. The 32 names on the glass memorial run vertically, and are aligned to form the words “Love,” “Freedom,” “Liberty,” “Courage” and “Forever” as acrostics running horizontally. A 33rd name, Donald Freeman Greene, is set among the paving stones to represent his death in the crash at Shanksville, Penn.
Charles Hilton of Charles Hilton Architects led the designing of the memorial.
“All I can say is that your design is truly genius,” Ritman said to the designers. “When I look at this memorial, I am in awe of what you created. I think one town resident summed it up best when he said there are no words to describe how beautiful this memorial is.”
Hilton says there were three main goals in designing the memorial.
“First, to honor the men and women from our community who were lost 14 years ago today, and second is to create a place for education and teaching for future generations,” Hilton said. “And third, to design a place in our hometown where the family members and friends of those lost to find silence and comfort in our Greenwich community.”
Five years of careful planning and designing resulted in the scenic view surrounding the memorial, with thought put into every detail of the site.
“I felt from the beginning, siting the memorial along the water was essential,” Hilton added. “Water’s ability to breathe, calm and tranquil settings provides a stunning picturesque background with visual connection as a metaphorical bridge to New York City and Washington D.C. were all important considerations. I hope you agree we cannot have found a better site than this.
“Visitors approach from one of two wheelchair-accessible paths laid out in a Fibonacci spiral—the geometry shared within human beings, animals and plant life here on Earth with the galaxies of the cosmos.”
The granite terrace atop the spiral pathway is an abstraction of the original World Trade Center Plaza. Three markers laid into the terrace point to the three sites struck by hijacked planes 14 years ago—New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville.
An estimated crowd of 250 people turned out for the ribbon cutting of the memorial. Sally Maloney, mother of the late Teddy Maloney, cut the ribbon before leading the march up to the memorial.
“I don’t think anybody thought that there was going to be this many people here today,” Ritman said. “I think it shows the love and the support and the respect for everybody.”
“After five years of work, there was no way we were going to miss having this dedication on September 11,” Ritman said. “Today brings to culmination over five years of discussions, meetings, planning, designing, town approvals, fundraising, site selection and now finally the construction. We’re so proud that we came together as a community.”
Ritman thanked other local politicians in attendance for their support, including Senator Richard Blumenthal and First Selectman Peter Tesei.
“The memorial was so profoundly powerful,” Senator Blumenthal said following the ceremony. “The Greenwich community was hit so hard. Everyone knew someone who lost someone. This memorial is really very special and fitting for our community.”
Tesei expressed high regard for the setting and design of the memorial.
“Today’s memorial unveiling is a poignant moment for Greenwich and the family members of those who were lost 14 years ago,” he said. “This beautiful monument with its use of transparent architectural design and symbolism will forever shed light on what was a dark day in our country’s history.
“While the site selection process presented some challenges, I believe divine intervention played a role in bringing the memorial location here at Cos Cob Park. We can take comfort and pride in knowing the town’s loved ones lost on 9/11 are being remembered at such a prized location.”
