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FIRST PERSON ACCOUNTS JAK PHILLIPS Head of News, Leisure Media


Turning tragedy into a tasteful and fi tting tribute is one of the most diffi cult visitor attractions to create. When done well –


Cambodia’s Killing Fields, Berlin’s Denkmal, Poland’s Auschwitz and London’s World War I centenary poppy installation at the Tower of London – these monuments shine light on the darkest days of humanity and, hopefully, help us gain the wisdom to prevent further atrocities. The 9/11 Memorial Museum focuses on the human aspect of that tragic day. The victims and their families whose lives were torn apart are central. At the memorial pools, you read the names of the victims, while the museum is a window into their experiences that day. A comprehensive interactive database of the victims – each complete with photograph,


biography and tributes – makes the event more real than a plaque or statue ever could. Touching also is the provision


for families to read out the names of loved ones and remember them through audio


recordings in the memorial exhibition. In fact, the museum is as much a shrine for the victims’ families as it is a retrospective of the event, best demonstrated by the 60 foot (18 metre) Victims’ Quilt on the lower level wall. Media debates surrounding London’s WWI poppy installation showed how an audience’s relationship with an event can change over time. This presents challenges in creating a structure and narrative that does justice to those affected and stays relevant for years to come. In humanising the museum, the design team created an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.


The museum is a window into people’s experiences that day ... Photographs, biographies and tributes make the event more real than a plaque or statue ever could


ALICE DAVIS Managing Editor, Attractions Management


When you’re standing in the queue for the 9/11 Memorial Museum, you know what happened, and you know it happened right there. You watched it happen on TV. You’ve seen the footage. Before I entered the museum, I was


apprehensive. I hoped it wouldn’t be sensationalised. The nearby pools are poignant and emotional, but I wanted the museum to be, well, like a museum. I decided to download the free audi-


oguide app – produced by Acoustiguide and Tristan Interactive – to deter- mine the route of my visit. The app offers a choice of three tours, in eight languages, as well as an audio descrip- tion tour for the blind and signed video tour for the deaf. The tours are Witnessing History, Discovering History (for children and families), and Building History (with a focus on


AM 1 2015 ©Cybertrek 2015


archaeology and architecture). I chose Witnessing History,


narrated by Manhattanite actor Robert de Niro and including fi rst-person accounts from police, fi remen, a news anchor, an FBI investigator and


survivors. It describes the signifi cance of 13 major artefacts, accompanied by these witness accounts. The audio tour tells the story of


these huge artefacts – the Survivors’ Stairs, a fi re truck crushed by the North Tower’s collapse. These artefacts make everything more real. We live in a world of rolling news and vast amounts of online content, and the screens we watch through anaesthetise us. But the sheer size of those artefacts – a steel column buckled by the impact of a plane; the Foundation Hall itself – convey the true magnitude of what happened that day.


TOM ANSTEY News Editor, Attractions Management


The personalisation and the storytelling at the 9/11 Memorial Museum creates an undoubtedly powerful experience. Entering the museum,


you hear voices of people recounting stories of where they were on that day. These personal touches are everywhere – you can even record a video message to future visitors. But possibly the most emotional aspect of the museum is the docents. These volunteers play a critical role in


providing a meaningful experience for the thousands who visit the museum each day. They provide interpretive services and give talks about the artefacts. My docent spoke of a destroyed fi re engine and its crew. The docents are passionate about their


work. They must work at least four hours a week for a minimum of one year. To get to this stage they have to complete 60 to 70 hours of comprehensive training over a period of four months. Only then are they able to interact with the public. The museum alone makes a powerful


statement, but the addition of the docents takes it to another level of understanding and compassion. ●


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