Worth Considering

How Did I Miss This Obvious Connection Between Two NYC Memorials?

By Mark Morgan Ford · August 25, 2025 · 1 min read
How Did I Miss This Obvious Connection Between Two NYC Memorials?

I Can’t Believe I Didn’t Notice This!

“Sunken Garden” by Isamu Noguchi, 1964 

“Ground Zero,” the World Trade Center Memorial by Michael Arad, 2001

“Ground Zero,” the World Trade Center Memorial by Michael Arad, 2001

As I was putting together the photos for my Journal article, I noticed for the first time the very obvious reference of “Ground Zero,” the World Trade Center Memorial designed by Michael Arad, to “Sunken Garden,” just a short walk away, designed by Isamu Noguchi and built 37 years earlier.

Nigel tells me there is no connection between the two, but I find it difficult to believe that Arad was not aware of it.