A common field one day. A field of honor forever. May all who visit this place remember the collective acts of courage and sacrifice of the passengers and crew, revere this hallowed ground as the final resting place of those heroes, and reflect on the power of individuals who choose to make a difference.
The Partners of the Flight 93 National Memorial sponsored an International Design Competition to find a fitting design to embody this Mission Statement. Stage I of the competition was an open call to present design ideas for a memorial expression that portrays the issues, ideas, and passion contained in the Mission Statement. This memorial expression could range from an individual work of art to a large scale landscape treatment, and could be submitted by anyone regardless of professional training. The Stage I Jury selected five finalists from the 1,011 entries to advance to the Stage II.
During the second stage the finalist participated in facilitated briefings, workshops, and site visits to help them better understand the project, site, and Mission Statement and evolve their designs accordingly. The winning design by Paul Murdoch Architects was announced on September 7, 2005. Phase I of the Memorial was completed in September 2011 and the Visitor Center opened September 10, 2015.
The competition management team included Donald J. Stastny, Jennifer Mannhard and Helene Fried Associates.