A Tower of Voices Completes the Flight 93 National Memorial

In a few weeks, the healing sound of a giant wind chime will resonate through Somerset County, Pennsylvania, when the Flight 93 National Memorial commemorates the 17^th anniversary of the plane’s crash on September 11, 2001. The newly constructed, 93-foot Tower of Voices will serve as a permanent visual and audible reminder of the heroism of its passengers and crew.

Artist rendition of the Tower of Voices by bioLinia and Paul Murdoch Architects
Credit: National Park Service

The Ill-Fated Flight

Forty wind chimes represent the forty who died in the domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four Al-Qaeda terrorists as part of the 9-11 attacks. It crashed into the Pennsylvania field where the memorial now stands during an attempt by the passengers and crew to regain control. There were no survivors from the crash. It’s believed that the passengers actions diverted an attack aimed at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Finishing touch of the memorial

“So many are looking forward to the dedication of this tower because it will be a sense of completion,” said Stephen Clark, the park’s superintendent. The initial construction of a memorial plaza, built amid the remote, rolling hills of the crash site, was completed in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks in 2011. It features a white stone wall, which traces the path of the doomed flight, with separate panels for each victim’s name.

Credit: National Park Service

The one-of-its-kind, 93-foot tower is located near the wall at the park’s entrance. It features 40 tubular metal wind chimes, one each for the 33 passengers and seven crew members who died. Each chime emits a different tone.

According to primary architect Paul Murdoch, “The intent is to create a set of 40 tones, or voices, that can connote through consonance the serenity and nobility of the site while also through the dissonance recalling the event that consecrated the site.”

See It Live, Hear the Soothing Chimes – Now

Though the Tower of Voices won’t be open to the public until the dedication ceremony, set for Sept. 9, you can preview the site virtually 24/7 via the Friends of Flight 93 Memorial’s live web cam . A five-minute simulation of the chimes (below) is available on  the National Parks website.