WTC Plans to be unveiled next week

[New Jack City]

NY Sun

Developer, Architects Set To Unveil Ground Zero Designs

By DAVID LOMBINO - Staff Reporter of the Sun

September 1, 2006

Designs for the east side of the former World Trade Center site will come to light on Thursday in a press conference featuring developer Larry Silverstein, officials from the Port Authority, and three acclaimed architects, Sir Norman Foster, Lord Richard Rogers, and Fumihiko Maki.

While the design of the Freedom Tower and the World Trade Center Memorial have been through a bumpy public review process, the plans for the three soaring office towers proposed along Church Street have been sealed off behind closed doors. The three buildings will contain about 6.2 million square feet of office space, and will share a common podium and underground infrastructure, including retail space.

Messrs. Rogers and Maki were officially named as architects in May, joining Mr. Foster and a bevy of other star architects working at ground zero. Since then, architects and engineers from their firms have been sharing office space and drawing up designs on the 25th floor of 7 World Trade Center, overlooking the site.

The site's Master Plan, conceived by architect Daniel Libeskind, calls for three towers along Church Street with slanted roofs, descending in height from north to south.

Mr. Silverstein said this week that it was a challenge to work with "three major egos," but he said that the result was "three truly magnificent architectural buildings."

The executive director of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Fredric Bell, said the announcement would end five years of anticipation regarding the final look of ground zero.

"This is a big deal. We are building another city here by most city's standards of urban planning," Mr. Bell said. "So far, the cards have been held pretty close to the chest."

Mr. Bell said that selecting three well-known architects was a "safe bet," but he said there is some fear in the architectural community that the designs "will have nothing to do with each other, nothing with the site, and nothing with the Master Plan."

The largest of the buildings, known as Tower 2, will be designed by Mr. Foster, whose work includes the recently completed Hearst Tower in Midtown and "The Gherkin" building in London. As planned, Tower 2 would be the fourth tallest building in New York.

To the south of the new transportation hub, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, will be Mr. Rogers's Tower 3, slated to rise about 1,050 feet and contain about 2 million square feet of office space. Mr. Rogers is also one of the designers of the Javits Convention Center expansion. His previous projects include the Millennium Dome in London and the Pompidou Center in Paris.

The smallest tower, Tower 4, is designed by Mr. Maki, who won the Pritzker Prize in 1993. He is also designing a 35-story tower that will serve as a temporary home to the United Nations as its current residence is renovated.

For construction to proceed on the three buildings, the Port Authority, which owns the site and leases it to Mr. Silverstein, must complete the construction of an underground wall known as the "east bathtub," expected in mid-2008. Towers 3 and 4 are scheduled to be finished by 2011, and Tower 2 by 2012.

[Ebola]

I'll bet that Tower 2 will be the second tallest building in New York.

[3tmk]

^but they say "As planned, Tower 2 would be the fourth tallest building in New York."

So if I understand, this is for the rest of the wtc... which is good, because with so many changes I'm lost as to what they really want.

Now it appears it will be that old senile fool Foster, industrialist insides-out Rogers (wasn't he in charge of some new residential highrises on LIC as well?), and Maki, who I've got no idea who he is... except that he's in charge of the UN temporary building apparently... wait... did they finally decide on something? This is news, on a location, building and all? damn

Back to the WTC, so besides the FT, we've got 2 other 1000 footers under planning, that is good for the city, although I would have prefered them to build all this office space somewhere else, outside ground zero, but I guess it's all Silverstein's fault

[nygirl]

I'm staying nuetral on this. I hope all goes well, but I am preparing myself for any disappointments. You just really do not know what to expect.

[ZZ-II]

Originally Posted by Ebola

I'll bet that Tower 2 will be the second tallest building in New York.

so it could be over 400m tall, WOW.

[TwinTowers]

Well, I guess it's over. The Twins are gone forever, and although I don't really enjoy the fact that they're gone, I accept the fact that they are, and I also will try and embrace this new WTC as much as I embraced the old one. I hope the designs turn out well, because it would suck if none of the towers blended in together. I hope they work out, because this is the future skyline of Lower Manhattan, one that was changed forever 5 years ago, and will only come back to fruition in another 5 years.

I hope that the designers aren't going to screw anything up. I'm hoping for the best, but also am expecting the worst.

[SaRaJeVo-City]

Damn it, I loved the old towers, I will try to have the same feeling for this new WTC complex but it just doesnt feel right. Atleast lower manhattan is gonna get a cool skyline again. I wanna see these new towers, if they are all different its gonna sux badly.

[Spooky873]

itll recapture the skyline even more, whether anyone likes it or not, i tihnk we all prefer the old but this area is gonna be crazy dense in the sky. 5 tall motherfuckers in a cluster.

[Brendan]

I think it's better that Tower 2 is nearly as tall to the roof as WTC1. I think it'll recapture the skyline of Lower Manhattan with the previous Twin Towers.

Anyway I have my hopes up and can't wait until next week!

-Brendan.

[paul.skyscrapercity]

This means nothing, these buildings won't be built for years yet. like to know where there going to find tenants for all these buildings, 7 wtc is not even full. if they blend with the skyline then that will proberly be great, and even if the original twin towers had of been rebuilt the skyline still would not be the same becouse the old 7 wtc is gone and has been replaced with a taller one the towers would be shiffted off the original footprints and the bankers trust building will be gone to.

[centreoftheuniverse]

Messrs. Rogers and Maki were officially named as architects in May, joining Mr. Foster and a bevy of other star architects working at ground zero.

Is 3 or 4 months enough time for someone to come up with a really exceptional design? Something tells me this will be a disappointment, not because they will be bad but because they will not be great.
This site deserves nothing short of spectacular. Anything less, even if it's not bad, will be a major failure.

It should also be able to stand the test of time. Like the Empire State Building or the Chrysler, these towers must be just as awe-inspiring not only to us now but to future generations as well. If they look old and dated in twenty years, then that is also a failure.

[WTC]

i heard some where that the LMDC are not going to be building their plan and the constrution is going to a private because new yorker were really against the LMDC plan.

[Ellatur]

so are each of the architects designing their own buildings? does that mean that each buildings won't be similar in shape? (like it wont look as if they are a 'set'?)

[Ebola]

Only a few more days of waiting...

[Daquan13]

Yeah, I hope that we don't get jerked around again by them saying that the unveiling will somehow be pushed back again!!

That would be a lowdown dirty trick!!

Paul, I think the idea is to get the rest of the towers designed and built on or about the same time that the Freedom Tower is built and completed, thereby shaving several years of construction time off doing it the mormal way.

All but maybe Tower 5, which is waiting for the Deutsche Bank Bldg. to be completely removed before the new tower's design starts being worked on.

At least that is what the officials have decided to do, rather than dragged it out over the next 15 years or so.

[Brendan]

I hope they release a decent amount of renders too, so far they've left the buildings in the shadows.

[paul.skyscrapercity]

I can't understand why they just build two twin freedom towers and have a plaza with 9 storey buildings, then it will be somthing like the old wtc complex, but a suppose im just dreaming.

[Daquan13]

It probably would be good, but they're not thinking along those lines.

[Scruffy88]

this thread is dead. this is one of the most exciting times, in less than 12 hours the designs will be out. this thread on other sites is red hot but here no one responded in 2 days. whats up with that.

i am damn excited. i cannot wait

[DamienK]

From left to right, Freedom Tower and the towers by Foster, Rogers and Maki, respectively:





I am especially fond of the Foster design. Way to go!