The Pentagon Memorial was constructed from a design by Beckman and Kaseman of New York City, with design support from Buro Happold, that was chosen following a design competition. To honor the 184 victims, 184 illuminated benches have been arranged according to the victim's ages, from 3 to 71, in a landscaped 1.93-acre (7,800 m2) plot. Each bench is engraved with the name of a victim. The benches representing the victims that were inside the Pentagon are arranged so those reading the names will face the Pentagon's south facade, where the plane hit; benches with victims on the plane are arranged so that those reading the engraved name will be facing skyward along the path the plane traveled. About 80 paperbark maple trees are planted on the memorial grounds. (from Wikipedia)

For the architect's description of the significance of the memorial, go to http://memorial.pentagon.mil/description.htm