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INTERVIEW: Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden

PPro:  How did the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial project begin?

JP:  It’s really quite interesting how this all came about.  Beverly Hills Fire Chief Tim Scranton acquired a 30 foot floor beam from one of the World Trade Towers from the New York Port Authority.  Chief Scranton felt displaying an artifact on the grounds of the Fire Department Headquarters would be a fitting tribute to honor and remember everyone that was affected by 9/11.  The Chief was offered his choice of several pieces from which he selected the artifact and that has now become the centerpiece of this memorial.

I was initially approached by a 9/11 committee member, Beverly Hills Fire Captain Joe Matsch,  who knew I was a owner of my landscaping design and lighting company.  He explained the acquisition of the artifact and the committee's desire to construct a memorial on Fire Department property at the corner of Rexford Drive and Burton Way.  Captain Matsch asked if I would be interested in giving them some ideas on how to display the piece and of course I said Absolutely!

In the early stages of the project there was some thoughts as to creating a simple memorial constructed by 'off-duty' Beverly Hills and Police Department personnel.  By this point the Beverly Hills Rotary Club came forward and generously raised funds to cover the shipment of the beam from New York to Beverly Hills.  Rotarians also started generating funds from their membership to assist with the construction of the project.

PPro:  Can you speak about the design elements?

JP:  Our goal from the start of the design was to find balance, harmony, flow, and most importantly be respectful of the events of 9/11.  Even though the artifact acquired by Chief Scranton came from the Twin Towers, I felt it important to incorporate all three locations that were impacted that day…. the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville, Pennsylvania aspect.

More than most, this design has been an evolution.  Initially starting out with one simple concept, that being ‘from what was once the Twin Towers', and now a twisted Floor Beam’ and everything it represents.  Community interest and the influx of private contribution kept pushing the design allowing the selection of more expensive materials resulting in a memorial befitting the City of Beverly Hills.

The first time that I had the opportunity to view the impressive nature of the beam, I knew this was going to be something special.  The beam has been folded nearly in half and roughly mimics the shape of the ‘Breast Cancer Ribbon’, still leaving it nearly 18 feet tall. By placing the beam in a vertical position you are instantly made aware of its size and strength.  These floor beams are rated to carry loads of approximately 60,000 lbs.  Seeing it torn, twisted, and deformed allows you to experience the forces necessary to cause that type of destruction. 

Several engineering challenges had to be overcome in order to present the beam in the manner it is displayed.  A single support post was the desired point of connection for this piece as other structural supports would take away the power of the piece. The beam is obviously the focal point of the memorial.  There is a pentagonal raised planter surrounding the beam where the names of the 2.977 who lost their lives that day are chemically etched in PVD stainless steel plaques. 

The Twin Towers were constructed to stand behind the beam and outside the plaza surrounding the pentagonal planter.  These Towers are 75% of the height of the beam and roughly proportional to the towers themselves.  The Towers are veneered with a flamed waved basalt stone.  A stand of 25 foot Bottle trees planted along the back of the memorial allowed the large 3 story wall to disappear and concentrate focus on the elements within the design.  The palette of materials selected for the project are medium and dark grey granites with a black granite used for accents.  Six basalt column water features are included in the space to ass a sence of motion and life.  As I wanted to bring a sense of calm to the space and also add life to it, we would be missing something if we didn’t add it.  Water is life and the ripples in it represent rebuilding, hope, and the future.

Lighting of the memorial was a unique challenge due to the materials involved.  The rusted beam requires the correct type of lighting in order to bring out its natural colors. Halogen lamps were used on all of the large elements, L.E.D lighting for the accents.  The addition of lighting in this manner transforms the space at night and gives the memorial a completely different perspective.

To read the rest of the interview with Mr. Jim Ply:  timeout.watchprosite.com

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