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Beverly Willis Rebuild Downtown Our Town 212-344-0400 bevwillis@architect.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After Two Years of Design Work, a Competition and Public Debate Why Is the Freedom Tower Design Now Being Radically Changed?
New York City, December 10, 2003--The conceptual design for the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site is being radically changed by the architecture firm, SOM, whose competition entry to redesign the 16 acres in downtown Manhattan received the fewest votes--5% of public approval, observes the leadership of Rebuild Downtown Our Town (R.Dot). This civic group, made up of Lower Manhattan residents and businesses, wonders why after two years of design work, public debate, and an international design competition won by Daniel Libeskind is about to be displaced by the new SOM scheme.
The SOM design revealed this morning in the New York Times showed no relationship to the site's diagonal lines, plazas, and walkways as the Libeskind plan proposed and which has been accepted by both the governor and the LMDC. The soaring, reaching, element of the Libeskind proposal apparently has been eliminated; the new forms proposed have no relationship to future buildings planned for the site and so carefully thought out in the Libeskind scheme. "In the Freedom Tower's place, there now seem to be two truncated towers twisting against one another and vaguely reminiscent Lord Norman Foster's gigantic "kissing towers" which came closest in their form to the World Trade Center towers. This bad imitation of the Foster design and the original Yamasaki design is apparently meant to replace the concept of 1776, a symbol for America rising again," said Susan Szenasy, Editor in Chief Metropolis Magazine and co-chair of R.Dot. Susan Szenasy further stated, "The noble and timely idea of tall buildings that make their own, clean energy with the aid of windmills is cheapened by the pedestrian design. Why can't we figure out how to work with the Libeskind scheme and make it sustainable?"
The Governor, the LMDC and the Port Authority must move quickly to get ground zero built; this is essential to the revitalization of stricken Lower Manhattan and the city beyond the beleaguered neighborhood. Starting over with a totally new design will cause unwarranted delays, rattle civic groups, delay environmental analysis. Further delays can not be tolerated as they are harmful to business and the quality of life of the residents," said Beverly Willis, President of Architecture Research Institute and co-chair of R.Dot.
"R.Dot is concerned that the pace of development is far too slow. The Governor has refused to let the site development react to market driven conditions. Holding site development up for the return of the office market will delay the rebuilding of ground zero for years," continued Willis. Now a totally new design is proposed that will cause further delays. What purpose does this latest proposal serve?
R.Dot joined the Civic Alliance yesterday in voting to reaffirm the organization's support for the Libeskind plan.
About Rebuild Downtown Our Town (R.Dot) - The Civic Voice of Lower Manhattan
Rebuild Downtown Our Town (R.Dot), a division of Architecture Research Institute, is a coalition of over 500 participants is comprised of Lower Manhattan residents, businesses, representatives from community and business associations and colleges, artists, professionals, and designers. The coalition meets regularly to discuss, research, and develop a collective vision that can shape our new downtown. Member groups of R.Dot represent the voices of thousands of people who have been directly affected by the destruction of the World Trade Center towers.
R.Dot's vision is to help create a 21st century living, working, sustainable environment that symbolizes the American spirit and it humanistic values.
Architecture Research Institute (ARI) - Rebuild Downtown Our Town (R.Dot)
29 Broadway, Suite 1100, New York, New York 10006
Tel 212.344.0400 Fax 212.344.4370 e-mail: director@architect.org