WASHINGTON - The architect of the memorial to a plane downed in western Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, said Wednesday he would work to satisfy critics who complained that it honors terrorists with its crescent-shaped design.

Designer Paul Murdoch said he is "somewhat optimistic" that the spirit of the design could be maintained.

"It's a disappointment there is a misinterpretation and a simplistic distortion of this, but if that is a public concern, then that is something we will look to resolve in a way that keeps the essential qualities," Murdoch, 48, of Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview.

Murdoch's design, "Crescent of Embrace," was selected last week during a meeting of the Flight 93 Advisory Commission. It had been one of five finalists, narrowed down from 1,011.

The recommendation of the 15-member jury consisting of design professionals and family and community members still needs to be approved by the Interior Department.