Architect unveils 9/11 Memorial Prototype

Architect unveils 9/11 memorialPrototype constructed in back yardMay 15, 2005
Linda Johnson, Staff Writer

For centuries to come, the waterfall that Dan Euser designed will help mark the place where 2,752 people were killed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
But, for now, the prototype for the largest artificial waterfall in the world is in his back yard in Richmond Hill.

"This will be a surprise to a lot of people," the designer said at a press conference Friday giving the local media its first look at the spectacular feature in operation.

The wooden structure is a 8.23-metre (27-foot) mock-up of one corner of the memorial that will be built on the site of the World Trade Center, destroyed by a terrorist attack.

"I'm very humble to even be part of the healing process. I couldn't believe it when they gave me the nod," said Mr. Euser, who said he turns on the waterfall for about three hours every two weeks to test a modification.
The mock-up was built to determine how the wind and freezing temperatures would alter the look of the water as it falls, said Mr. Euser, a landscape architect by trade. Architects and designers also wanted to learn how to control the sound and spray.

Such an experiment must be done to full scale because water changes according to the distance it has to fall. Mr. Euser said he did not want to compromise the project in any way.

In all, there will be 1,800 linear feet of waterfall.

The memorial, Reflecting Absence, consists of two large squares below the towers, with the top of the waterfall level with the street. On each side, visitors will walk down to an area that includes a large square pool ringed with the waterfall. The names of those killed in the attack will appear on a wall behind the falls.

"You come from sidewalk level and see this huge void. Then, you see the water crashing down," said Mr. Euser, who agreed water can be soothing.

"It's so cleansing. I think that's part of it. Water is used in so many ways. It's so beautiful. I love working with it. And the sound can be very powerful," he said. "But it knocks out all the other sounds."

While some design changes have been made, including the installation of rounded weirs -- the structures that send the water out -- there remains other challenges to work out.
"This is still a work in progress. We want to make sure we have the best show possible," Mr. Euser said.

Mr. Euser is one of only two water feature designers in North America. His company has designed water features for the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Milwaukee Art Museum, a Lego theme park on Germany, the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston and Disney theme parks around the world. In Canada, he designed water projects at the Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto and the $4.5-million waterfront centre in Hamilton.
The structure will be in his yard until end of October.

'I'll be glad to get my garden back," he said,
To see the fountain design, visit www.wtcsitememorial.org