[Images: National September 11 Memorial and Museum, (out-of-date) sqaureddesignlab.com]

Correction alert!!!
Thanks to a comment we received this morning (9/10) from Nic, the renderings above are out of date. We went to the Sqaured Design website (the creator's of the rendering we saw in the NY Times) and these were the images they had on their site in relation to the WTC site. The new museum pavillion illustration was not included on Squared Design's page. Dykers is responsible for the new museum pavilion. Thanks again to Nic!

The latest design for the 9/11 museum pavilion at the World Trade Center site has been
revealed. Architect Craig Dykers of Snohetta, has fulfilled the design criteria of keeping the museum below
ground and at the same time has created a bold ground level presence. The glass entry pavilion will contain
two pieces of structural ironwork from the plaza level of the former buildings. They are not used as a part of the pavilion structure, but stand free like two pieces of sculpture. The open fountain waterfall spills down into the museum level creating a pretty dynamic interior courtyard.

Hopefully, this time something will actually get built. The poor site. It has been through more
political infighting and ego-bruising, than any project should have to endure. I'm sure there will be a
cacophony of complaint from several quarters, but this building has to fulfill the emotional needs of such a
diverse group of communities, government oversight and financial restrictions, that its amazing that someone
has come up with any plan at all.

[Images: Chocolate creations from enricrovira.com /Artwork: designslinger]

I love Spain. It is with great pleasure therefore, that I'd like to introduce you to one of the most
amazing chocolatiers I've ever seen, who works his magic in Barcelona. You may already be familiar with
Enric Rovira and his sculptural use of chocolate, but for anyone who hasn't heard of him - voilà. Can you believe these images? He has manipulated chocolate into shapes that makes you want to display them rather than eat them.

In one instance, he molds flat chocolate into cone shapes then lets them sit in the sun. Once the heat
starts to melt the upper part, holes appear as the chocolate folds in on itself and he rushes to remove them
from the sun's rays before they collapse entirely. The result reminds me of some of the pottery Georgia O'Keefe produced at the end of her life when she couldn't see well enough to paint, but could feel her way around clay.

[Image: Rooftop chimney caps, La Pedrera, Barcelona, Spain; as chocolate /Artwork: designslinger]

It just goes to show you that with an actively creative mind, no challenge is too great. Whether
building a museum from steel or a sculpture from chocolate, nothing should prevent us from going places we can imagine. Enric says he is inspired by the Barcelona architecture of Antonio Gaudi, so we took inspiration from the rooftop chimney caps of Gaudi's La Pedrera and turned them into our own chocolate delight.