A Tower of Impregnability, the Sort Politicians Love (Freedom Tower)

NY Times ^ | June 30, 2005 | NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF

[neverdem]

The darkness at ground zero just got a little darker. If there are people still clinging to the expectation that the Freedom Tower will become a monument to the highest American ideals, the current design should finally shake them out of that delusion. Somber, oppressive and clumsily conceived, the project suggests a monument to a society that has turned its back on any notion of cultural openness. It is exactly the kind of nightmare that government officials repeatedly asserted would never happen here: an impregnable tower braced against the outside world.

The new design by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a response to the obvious security issues raised by the New York Police Department, specifically the tower's resistance to car and truck bombs. The earlier twisted-glass form, a pastiche of architectural visions cobbled together from Daniel Libeskind's master plan and various Skidmore designs, lacked grace or fresh ideas. The new obelisk-shaped tower, which stands on an enormous 20-story concrete pedestal, evokes a gigantic glass paperweight with a toothpick stuck on top. (The toothpicklike spire was added so that the tower would reach its required height of 1,776 feet.)

The temptation is to dismiss it as a joke. And it is hard not to pity Mr. Childs, who was forced to redesign the tower on the fly to meet the rigid deadline of Gov. George E. Pataki. Unfortunately, the tower is too loaded with meaning to dismiss. For better or worse, it will be seen by the world as a chilling expression of how we are reshaping our identity in a post-Sept. 11 context.

The most radical design change is the creation of the base, which will house the building's lobby and some mechanical systems. Designed to withstand a major bomb blast...

[neverdem]

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
The new design for the 82-story Freedom Tower features a pinstripe facade, centered antenna and proportions that evoke the Twin Towers.

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Above an impregnable 200-foot concrete and steel pedestal would rise 69 office floors topped by a restaurant and observation decks.

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
An antenna within a trellis-like sculpture would bring the structure to the symbolic total height of 1,776 feet, one of the few elements left intact from the building first envisioned in 2002 by the architect Daniel Libeskind, the site's master planner.

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
The enormous, largely windowless pedestal, added after the New York Police Department insisted the building be more resistant to car and truck bombs, would overlook the Sept. 11 memorial.

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
The main shaft of the Freedom Tower would begin as a 200-by-200-foot square. As it rose, the corners would be cut away, creating an octagonal floor plan through the middle of the building.

© 2005 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
"I feel better about this than the original," said the building's chief architect, David M. Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. "The building is simpler, architecturally. It is unique, yet it subtly recalls, in the sky, the tragedy that has happened here."

[Darkwolf377]

A much better design than the original. The critics comments are what you'd imagine in the Times--evil, dying empire that is America, closing itself off from the world, etc. I'm sure he'd move right in if a building were made without precautions against terrorism.

[longtermmemmory]

I still prefer the donald trump suggestion, which is a duplication of what others have been saying, build the twins back.


This says NOTHING.

[Darkwolf377]

The original WTC looked like a pair of cigarette cartons, as John Crowley pointed out. The simple fact is, the towers were boring buildings. This thing isn't anything revolutionaryt but at least it fits the area better.

[de Buillion]

If the omniscient nyt doesn't like it, it must be a good thing. I am quite sure the traitors @ nyt wanted this thing to be an apology to muslims, communists, North Vietnamese, North koreans, Chinese, Indians, English, mexicans, all illegal aliens, etc. I like it.

[Hank Rearden]

"It is unique, yet it subtly recalls, in the sky, the tragedy that has happened here."

It wasn't a "tragedy", it was an unprovoked attack by evil Moslem Murderers, all of whom must be destroyed and their death-cult salted into oblivion.

[Paul_Denton]

I still prefer the donald trump suggestion, which is a duplication of what others have been saying, build the twins back.

I agree.

[Darkwolf377]

It's a "tragedy" to those who think there are "two sides" to the 9-11 story. Consider the source of the article.

[Skeeve14]

I will never forget the fact that we sold the scrap metal of the WTC to the Chinese.

I thought we would have at least built some battleships or submarines out of them.

I'm still waiting on the USS WTC. Fully capable of spreading freedom throughout the world.

[July 4th]

I agree as well, but this is much better than the former plans.

[LouD]

Almost perfect - It needs one more small detail: Osama's head encased in lucite at the tip of the antenna.

[HitmanLV]

I consider this a huge improvement over the scrapped Freedom Tower design. No idea why the Times is down on it. Though I did see the word 'windowless' in there (it doesn't look windowless to me), and that would be a collosal drag.

A windowless building is stinky.

[HitmanLV]

I was born and raised in downtown manhattan and you are right - the WTC was never an object of affection and were really dull looking. This one looks sharp - but I hope they use windows.

[ARCADIA]

I like the look of the new building. But it is too bad that it is 20 stories short and no longer has a twin.

[neverdem]

Above the base, it will be steel and glass.

[Spktyr]

Much better - now build another one right next to it, and we might have something.

[HitmanLV]

Thanks, I misread it. I like this a lot better than the other plans I had seen.

[Robert_Paulson2]

twins back.
period.

[ARCADIA]

Much better - now build another one right next to it, and we might have something.

Then get rid of the worthless flag staff and add a 20 story bridge between the two towers. Make sure that it has plenty of observation and entertainment space, and an armored flightdeck on top in case of an emergency.

[neverdem]

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