The WTC Heroes Park

September 11, 2003 — the second anniversary of the World Trade Center (WTC) bombing — witnessed a ground­breaking ceremony for the WTC Heroes Park. Conceived as a memorial as much to the many who lost their lives in 2001 as to those who pitched in to save those trapped under the debris, the Park envisages landscaped gardens replete with healing water features according to the combined teachings of Vastushastra and Feng-shui. "The abundance of water features, careful selection of the direction and even landscaping are all done keeping these principles in mind,” landscape design­er Kaizad Irani told Radhika Pancholi of The Indian Express (Septem­ber 26, 2003).

A 30-foot pond with huge boulders symbolizes the unity of the 50 states comprising the USA as also "the brotherhood that emerges supreme despite the diversity,” adds Huned Contractor (Pune Times, August 9, 2003).

A professional landscapist who teaches architecture at Illinois’ Parkland University, Irani’s design was chosen by the US Government from over 400 applications. As Irani elaborated to Contractor, "There was an open international offer for all pro­fessional architects to submit their designs and I did so only on the insistence of my students and colleagues.”

In May, he was one of 20 architects from all over the world whose design was shortlisted by the US Government. They were flown to Chicago for a three-day brain-storming and presentation seminar where the participants were divided into four teams of five architects each.

"The reason why Kaizad’s team overshot the others can be credited to the fact that they chose to look upon the park as an embodiment of the selfless courage and conviction with which ordinary men and women as also the rescue specialists pitched in to save every victim trapped under the debris,” writes Contra­ctor. Amplifies Irani, "When this gory incident took place, I was sitting in front of the television set and praying that I get an opportunity to help in whatever way I can. And my prayer has been fulfilled.”

The Poona bred Irani whose mother Roshan had lectured at Bombay University for many years, has imbibed her love for teach­ing. He sees it as "a noble profession that gives one the oppor­tunity to pass on not just knowledge but values.” And he needed all the commitment learnt from his award winning bodybuilder father Rusi during his first year at the University of Illinois in 1986 after initial graduation from Poona’s Abhi­nav Kalavid­yala College of Architecture. He needed to deliver newspapers, work in cafetaria and teach martial arts to pay for his food and rent, notes Pancholi.

Irani, whose wife Farzana had fought in the first Gulf War as a part of the US army, is happy to be "aapro Parsi dikro,” and is "extremely honored” at being the only Indian on the project, note the reports.