Design studio Drift and architect Shigeru Ban have worked to recreate the Twin Towers with lighted drones for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, with each light representing a life lost in the World Trade Center attack.

Under creative director Addison Mehr, the 2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor installation launched from Governors Island the night of 9 September and consisted of drones outlining the Twin Towers at full architectural scale.

Drift (formerly Studio Drift) acted as advisors along with Ban and architect Dean Maltz. Studio Drift said it represented "one of the most important remembrances of our lifetime" and noted the use of technology as a futuristic remembrance tool.

"We could not think of a more impactful use of technology as it is now more important than ever to create the best possible future by using the new tools of our time to never forget the past," said Studio Drift.

The light installation was illuminated twice, for fifteen minutes each time. Once the drones assembled, they hovered in the air over the New York Harbor for several minutes before the lights turned off and the drones returned to their landing spots.

Each of the 2,977 drones represented a life lost during the 9/11 terrorist attack on 11 September 2001. It was designed to be in dialogue with the Tribute in Light skylights that are projected from the Twin Towers site every year.

The team consulted with representatives of the family, survivors and emergency responders for the design.

"Like the landscape of New York City, memory and understanding of history are also shaped by and reflect constant change," said New York City Fire Department responder and artist Brenda Berkman.

"But art can help convey information, feelings and understanding of past events from one generation to the next."

The installation also included references to some of the alternative building proposals that arose in the wake of the incident.

According to the team, the "helix" of drones formed as the installation came together represented Think's unbuilt World Cultural Centre master plan proposal.

Ban worked on this proposal as a collaborator on a team called Think, which also included architects Rafael Viñoly and David Rockwell.

Studio Libeskind ultimately designed the master plan.

Drift has created several drone installations, including a wavy shape above the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg and shows for a version of the Burning Man festival after it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

Dezeen previously examined the impact of 9/11 in a series dedicated to the event's 20th anniversary, while Foster + Partners released updated images of the final tower being built on the site, which is now under construction.