Contract - June 2014 - 16

pHoto: Meg Walton

editorial

A New Economy with a Sense of Purpose
Our world has changed-in some ways dramatically-in this young
century. Futurist Edie Weiner would correct me, though. At a recent
Contract Design Forum, she noted that change is always happening,
and we are always in a time of change. I remember that line, and
I vow not to use the phrase "a time of change" in Contract. Still, it
is worthwhile to pause and reflect on how our world and lives have
changed, especially in reference to September 11, 2001, and advances
in technology. And it is also worthwhile to ponder, What's next?
In this issue, we are focused on this new world, previewing
the new offerings at NeoCon® and featuring interiors that are all
workplaces for a new economy. Each of the four are offices for
companies that are no more than seven years old, and three of the four
are companies that began during the Obama presidency. They are
young, agile companies utilizing technology to enable us to create and
to accomplish tasks easier, or fusing technology with entertainment.
Unencumbered by 20th-century notions of work and workplace, all are
located in cities that are hubs for new ideas driving the new economy-
Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
As we produced this issue from our office in Lower Manhattan,
we were also observing the activity just a few blocks away: the opening
of the National September 11 Memorial Museum, also known as the
9/11 Memorial Museum. We're pleased to present 10 pages of coverage
of the museum, which I believe is the most architecturally significant
cultural space of the 21st century in this country. I say space, rather
than building, because approximately 90 percent of the museum is
underground, designed by Davis Brody Bond. Only the Snøhettadesigned entrance pavilion, which includes an auditorium, is visible
above grade on the Memorial Plaza.
Contract is focused on interiors, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum
is, in essence, all about interior space. And it's remarkable. Think about
how Ground Zero appeared in fall 2001, and as an open 16-acre hole for
years thereafter. Now imagine a surprisingly cathedral-like interior that
references the original Twin Tower footprints and the stark reality of
that site six stories below ground. The scale and magnitude can only
be experienced in person, as photographs do not do it justice.

The exhibition designers-Thinc Design, Local Projects, and
Layman Design-did an extraordinary, exhaustive job in presenting the
story of 9/11 and memorializing the victims. It is not an easy exhibition
to walk through and absorb. Frankly, it's tough, especially for New
Yorkers, as it brings one back to that day and the days thereafter. On
Memorial Day weekend, I was visiting at the same time as a number of
military men and women, and it made me pause to realize that many of
them were children when 9/11 happened. This museum is designed for
not only those who experienced that day, but also future generations.
The role of the architects and designers in creating this museum,
under extremely difficult circumstances, pressure, and constraints,
cannot be overestimated. And sometimes, as a profession, we need
to recognize people that do exceptional things. Mark Wagner, an
associate partner at Davis Brody Bond, is one of those people. He has
had an unimaginable combination of roles, not only as project architect
for the 9/11 Memorial Museum, but also essentially serving as curator
for items worth saving in the destruction while he was on site at Ground
Zero in 2001 and 2002. He has, in essence, devoted more than 12 years
of his career as an architect to the recovery efforts at Ground Zero, the
documentation of more than 1,000 objects, and the subsequent design
of the museum that holds those objects. We are pleased to present an
exclusive profile of Wagner (page 104), written by Associate Editor
Cody Calamaio. Wagner has not sought the limelight, but he deserves
it for his commitment and what he has carried out.
We hope the Mark Wagner story inspires fellow design
practitioners to do great things. Let's keep a positive sense of
purpose as change happens all around us.
Sincerely,
John Czarnecki, assoc. aia, Hon. iida
editor in Chief

contractdesign.com

june 2014

http://www.contractdesign.com

Contract - June 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - June 2014