It’s been four years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 brought down the twin towers. Since then, the question of how and what to rebuild at Ground Zero has sparked many heated debates. But on this anniversary of that dreadful day, the debate must pause as we remember the victims, and look with hope to the future. The Juilliard Journal is grateful to Project Rebirth for allowing us to reprint these photos.

A satellite tracked by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center captured this image of Lower Manhattan on September 12, 2001. The smoke from the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center can be seen pouring into the atmosphere. (Photo courtesy NASA)













Efforts to recover human remains at Ground Zero concluded in May 2002, and in the months that followed, the gargantuan task of cleaning up the remaining debris and preparing the site for rebuilding began. With the cleanup of Ground Zero completed, the framework for a new PATH station is constructed, as seen in this picture. (Photo from film still/Project Rebirth)







In June 2005, architect David Childs, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and David Libeskind, the site’s master planner, unveiled revised design plans for a Freedom Tower to be built at Ground Zero. This image superimposes a rendering of the 1,776-foot structure onto an aerial view of Lower Manhattan. (Image courtesy SOM)