The Flight 93 National Memorial – a visitor centre in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, remembering those lost on United Flight 93 – has opened to the public with designs by Paul Murdoch Architects offering a place of contemplation for those lost during the 9/11 attacks.

Opened on 10 September – the day before the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks which claimed nearly 3,000 lives – the site features a 4,000sq ft (371 sq m) permanent exhibit and Wall of Names dedicated to the passengers and crew who died when United 93 came down as they tried to regain control of the aircraft from terrorists. The site also includes a learning centre and a paved walkway tracing the jet’s flight path. A memorial plaza will mark the point of the aircraft’s impact point, while 40 memorial groves and a bridge allows space for reflection.

California-based Paul Murdoch worked in collaboration with Virginia-based Nelson Byrd Woltz landscape architects on the US$26m (€23m, £17m) plans, which sits on 9,000sq m (96,000sq ft) of land around the crash site. The plans were initially approved in 2002, but land and fund sourcing held up development of the project, which started in 2013.

"Beginning with a tower of voices near the park entrance, the public will ultimately arrive to and be able to walk along the edge of the crash site, which is the focal point of what was once 'a common field one day' and is now 'a field of honour forever'," said the architects.

"The Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center opened on 10 September, on time and within budget, thanks to the dedicated effort of the memorial staff, our partners and our contractors," said Steve Clark, superintendent of the memorial. “We look forward to welcoming visitors and providing them a fuller story about the heroic efforts of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93."