Designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma and shaped by the voices of 20,000 Gold Star families, Service Members, and Americans, the Memorial will honor the Generations that answered the Call after 9/11
WASHINGTON, D.C. — May 19, 2026 — The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (GWOTMF) today revealed the Foundation’s initial design concept for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial, a permanent tribute on the National Mall honoring the generations of Americans who served, sacrificed, and supported loved ones through more than two decades of conflict following September 11, 2001.
Designed by internationally celebrated architect Kengo Kuma and Kengo Kuma & Associates, the Memorial was shaped by the people it honors. In 2018, the Foundation began gathering design data, culminating in the “Help Design History” campaign. Upon completion, the campaign gathered input from 20,000 Americans across all 50 states and territories, including members of every branch of service and veterans of every conflict since World War II. In addition to that feedback, a 23-member Design Advisory Council of Gold Star family members, veterans, veteran families, and service members guided the design team, ensuring that lived experience, not symbolism alone, would inform every element of the design.
“This design was shaped by history and held sacred from the beginning — forged by sacrifice and informed by the voices of warriors and their families,” said Michael “Rod” Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation and a retired U.S. Army Green Beret. “Throughout history, societies have built sacred places to welcome their warriors home, places where a grateful people can say, ‘We see you. We honor you. You are not forgotten.’ The GWOT generations deserve that same enduring tribute. Today, we take one step closer to welcoming them home.”
A Memorial Shaped by Lived Experience
From the moment visitors arrive, the design resonates with those who served in the Global War on Terrorism. Sacred steel and stone relics recovered from the sites of the September 11, 2001, attacks stand at each of the Memorial’s three entrances, marking where the journey began.
Rising above the site is a classically inspired amphitheater, including an arch made of a ribbon of our soil, affectionately called “the embrace.” The peaceful arch is built from reclaimed steel from combat operations during the Global War on Terrorism and is covered in historically native vegetation. Light filters through the structure, casting shadows across the path below. Its orientation intentionally aligns with Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where many of the Global War on Terrorism fallen are laid to rest, linking the living city with sacred ground.
A path of honor, primarily in marble, connects the Memorial to the surrounding monuments and memorials of the National Mall and carries embedded footprints that represent the weight of war and the varied experiences of those who served and their families.
Shallow reflecting pools extend from the footprint paths, and as visitors step through the water and back onto stone, their own footprints appear temporarily beside those of the service members. This interactive component offers visitors the chance to walk alongside a loved one once more.
“This Memorial is not an abstract commission for our team, it is a sacred responsibility,” said Kengo Kuma, founder of Kengo Kuma & Associates, who lost a close friend in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. “Our role was not to impose a design, but to listen. The voices of those who served and the families who stood beside them became our source of inspiration. We wanted to create a place of reflection and connection, a living Memorial where nature, light, and the materials of this war come together as an embrace for a grateful Nation.”
A Living Tribute
The Global War on Terrorism Memorial will recognize the millions who answered the call to serve; honor the fallen and Gold Star families who carry their memory; and acknowledge the invisible wounds that so many continue to bear. It is a living place, one that will illuminate at night and invite reflection, healing, and unity for generations to come.
The design reveal marks a major milestone, but construction, programming, and stewardship of the Memorial are still ongoing, and public support remains vital. The Foundation invites everyone to learn more at gwotmf.org.
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About the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation
Formed in 2015 by veterans, military spouses, and supportive Americans, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated by Congress to lead the effort to plan, fund, and build the GWOT Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Our sole mission is to construct an inclusive place of honor for both uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who served and sacrificed as part of global counterterrorism operations since September 11th, 2001. The Memorial will be a place for Americans to honor, heal, be empowered, and unite. The Memorial is being funded entirely by donations; by law, no federal government funding will be used. All donations are 100% tax deductible. Learn more by visiting our website. And be sure to follow our progress on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.