Tribute in Light
Tribute in Light ( Eng.: Homage to light) was originally a temporary light installed monument from 88 fixtures that were placed from March 11 to April 14, 2002 near the former World Trade Center site Ground Zero. The system was installed by the Municipal Art Society, a private New York non-profit conservation organization. Thus, two vertical beaming into the sky lighting columns, nachbildeten the remembrance of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the towers of the destroyed World Trade Center. The monument was installed on the second anniversary of the terrorist attack again in 2003. Contrary to speculation about the continuation of the tradition of 2008, the Tribute in Light has been activated each year up to 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11 to commemorate the victims for one night. With the opening on 12 September 2011, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum took over hosting the annual memorial service.
Luminosity
On clear nights, the light columns can be seen from up to 100 kilometers away and clearly visible from the entire New York metropolitan area and rural areas in northern New Jersey and Long Iceland, Fairfield (Connecticut), Westchester County and Rockland County. The light columns were even significantly from the terrace of the Centry Country Club in Purchase (New York) observed and pilots claimed to have seen the light pillars from their cockpit from the skies over Cleveland. According to information, the light should reach up to 6600 meters.
Formation
The concept was born a week after the attack by the Project for the Immediate Reconstruction of Manhattan 's skyline of the architects of Proun Space Studio, John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi.
The artist Julian LaVerdiere and Paul MYODA worked prior to September 11 in the 91st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on behalf of The New York Times Magazine in a project under the name "Phantom Towers " to a template for a light sculpture, whose image was intended for the front page of the New York Times edition for 23 September.
Richard Nash Gould, a New York architect and employees of a firm whose SoHo office had a direct view of the World Trade Center, brought the concept at the Municipal Art Society. The chairman of this organization, Philip K. Howard, asked the New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on September 19th in a letter " to place two huge searchlight near Ground Zero, the light rays shine straight into the sky ." (Original text: " [ ... ] to Consider Placing two large searchlights near the disaster site, Projecting Their light straight up into the sky. . ").
Costs and financing
The installation, maintenance and guarding of the light monument cost 500,000 U.S. dollars. The price for one of the 88 installed 7000 watt xenon gas discharge lamps is about 1200 U.S. dollars. Main sponsor was the Municipal Art Society.
Problems of the lighting system
Threats to birds
The intense luminosity of the monument means that thousands of birds fly in the context of bird migration in the light cone and wander around there. Due to this fact the light is switched off in a 20 - minute intervals to allow the birds an onward flight.
Financial problems
The annual activation of the monument can not be ensured from 2011 due to financial problems. The Municipal Art Society therefore launched an appeal in August 2011.
Designation of light monument
The monument was originally supposed to be named Towers of Light, but many people complained about the fact that this designation rather the destroyed World Trade Center instead of the people killed emphasized.