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New Freedom Tower design unveiled.

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M

Moose

Member
gal.wtc.libeskind.4.jpg


Sure is an improvement visually. *edit: over THAT ^

But, the name... well...
story.freedom.fries.jpg
 
D

Diablos

Member
I like the previous design better, although this one still looks good.

I agree, the word "freedom" is thrown around way too often here in the US, they could definitely come up with more of an original name.
 
B

brooklyngooner

Member
xsarien said:
I am and I agree with him. Rebuilding the towers as they were would be a terrible idea. When they were first proposed, huge tracts of homes and shops in the downtown area were taken down through eminent domain (funny how that's in the news again), and once the design was proposed it wasn't well received. Displacing so many in vain was pretty bad, to say the least. Were the Twin Towers a marvel of engineering? Yes. Aesthetically pleasing? Many thought they were an eyesore. If there's one single, solitary good thing that can come out of 9/11, it's that we can finally get a structure that wouldn't have to work so hard to be loved.

I'm as much a fan of getting that part of Manhattan back on its feet economically as well as restoring the skyline as anyone. (It goes without saying that I don't put those two above the lives of those who died.) But it needs to be done properly, and perhaps with a touch of humility that only reserved space and touches of design for memorial's can provide. This design does that.
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I'm not sure why you wrote this to me -- I was just wondering where he's from. I am always curious when people not from here have strong opinions on what should be done. It wasn't meant to be provocative in any way.
 
M

Macam

Banned
I don't like this design much at all. The designs seem to get worse as they go along. But hey, whatever, NYC's ugly to begin with.
 
B

B-B-Bomba!

Member
I STILL think that in years to come, some kind of garden will be viewed as the better option to have chosen for the site. However this tower design has softened some of my hostility for the project; I think it's way better than the last one I saw. I like that the base faces one way, while the top faces another. It's a very simple concept, but not one I've seen used before; to me it suggests America undergoing a change of direction, and turning to face new challenges ... If only I could feel happier about this new direction, and the challenges the country is setting itself. I still picture the US as a rogue bull elephant, blinded by rage and pain ...

Or under glasses of a different tint, an ignorant mule getting needlessly wound up by bothersome flies. Possibly as time has gone on you chaps have sublimed from one caricature to the other ...

Anyway I also like the poetic image of this edifice as a billowing flag. And the FU Tower! :lol Nice work, both.
 
D

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
Better than the last design, but still not great... The name is horrible, and it would be so much better if there were 2 of these towers, not just one.
 
W

Wendo

Vasectomember
I still think it's a horrible idea to build a building that has floors where fire ladders can't reach you.
 
M

maharg

idspispopd
Bregor said:
The human occupied portion is equal in height to the Twin Towers. The spire brings it to 1776 feet, making it the worlds tallest building (until the Burj Dubai). Including the spire in the height of the building is quite common, and the worlds tallest building has often done so including Taipei 101 and the Petronas Towers.
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Strictly speaking I think the Sears Tower is taller if you include the antennas. Honestly, though, if uninhabited structures like the CN Tower don't count I don't see why uninhabitable portions of any building should be included. By that logic, you could say the CN Tower has the however many stories in the observation deck + a really fucking huge spire.

If you don't count the absurdly huge spire on the Freedom Tower it doesn't even come close. It's like #3 or 4 now.
 
B

Bregor

Member
maharg said:
Strictly speaking I think the Sears Tower is taller if you include the antennas. Honestly, though, if uninhabited structures like the CN Tower don't count I don't see why uninhabitable portions of any building should be included. By that logic, you could say the CN Tower has the however many stories in the observation deck + a really fucking huge spire.

If you don't count the absurdly huge spire on the Freedom Tower it doesn't even come close. It's like #3 or 4 now.
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However that is the way it is currently measured for purposes of the official WTB. If the spire didn't count, then the Petronas towers wouldn't have taken the title away from the Sears Tower.

(And to make things even more muddled, mere antennas don't count - it has to be an integral part of the architectural design of the building. So the spires on the ESB, Petronas Towers, etc. count, but not the antennas on the Twin Towers or Sears Tower.)

It might not be the most sensible definition to use, but it is the official one, and all architects are 'playing the game' by those rules these days when going for the WTB title. Just look at all the recent designs with spires. It's hardly fair to single out the Freedom Tower as cheating when nearly all of them are doing it.
 
M

maharg

idspispopd
Bregor said:
However that is the way it is currently measured for purposes of the official WTB. If the spire didn't count, then the Petronas towers wouldn't have taken the title away from the Sears Tower.

(And to make things even more muddled, mere antennas don't count - it has to be an integral part of the architectural design of the building. So the spires on the ESB, Petronas Towers, etc. count, but not the antennas on the Twin Towers or Sears Tower.)

It might not be the most sensible definition to use, but it is the official one, and all architects are 'playing the game' by those rules these days when going for the WTB title. Just look at all the recent designs with spires. It's hardly fair to single out the Freedom Tower as cheating when nearly all of them are doing it.
Click to expand...

I'd rather not single it out. Though it definitely takes it to a ridiculous extreme. The Freedom Tower's spire makes up 1/3 at worst or 1/4 at best (if you count the observation deck) of its height. By comparison, Taipei 101 is only 1/10th spire. If that's not cheating, the very concept has no meaning. In theory it's the height it is (1776 feet) to reference the founding of the United States, but they could have put more effort into the building itself.

It's just the multiple layers of hypocracy that gets to me. A building made up entirely of spire doesn't count, ok. A building with a spire counts well, that doesn't make much sense but at least seems fair somehow. An antenna (which is all a spire really is) doesn't count just because the top of the building is flat? Now we're getting stupid.
 
B

Bregor

Member
maharg said:
I'd rather not single it out. Though it definitely takes it to a ridiculous extreme. The Freedom Tower's spire makes up 1/3 at worst or 1/4 at best (if you count the observation deck) of its height. By comparison, Taipei 101 is only 1/10th spire. If that's not cheating, the very concept has no meaning. In theory it's the height it is (1776 feet) to reference the founding of the United States, but they could have put more effort into the building itself.

It's just the multiple layers of hypocracy that gets to me. A building made up entirely of spire doesn't count, ok. A building with a spire counts well, that doesn't make much sense but at least seems fair somehow. An antenna (which is all a spire really is) doesn't count just because the top of the building is flat? Now we're getting stupid.
Click to expand...

The proportion of tower to spire is almost exactly the same as that of the original Twins to their antenna. The only difference is that now the broadcast antenna will be incorporated into a spire so that it can be counted in the buildings height.
 
Phoenix

Phoenix

Member
Guys the name isn't necessarily permanent. By the time its finished construction they may call it the George Bush Tower or Google could buy the place and call it the Google Center or whatever.
 
T

teiresias

Member
I can see the tours now.

"Welcome everyone. I'm Jesse, your tour guide. Today, on our tour of the Gay Marriage Cathedral . . ."
 
L

Laguna X

Nintendogs Member
Phoenix said:
Guys the name isn't necessarily permanent. By the time its finished construction they may call it the George Bush Tower or Google could buy the place and call it the Google Center or whatever.
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The George Bush Tower is too bland. Now the George Bush Towah of Powah... yeah I can dig it. ;)
 
R

Ruzbeh

Banned
Laguna X said:
The George Bush Tower is too bland. Now the George Bush Towah of Powah... yeah I can dig it. ;)
Click to expand...
Oh man. If they call it the George Bush Tower I'll fly another plane into it myself!
 
L

Laguna X

Nintendogs Member
Ruzbeh said:
Oh man. If they call it the George Bush Tower I'll fly another plane into it myself!
Click to expand...
You won't be flying into the TOWAH OF POWAH though. I can guarantee you that. POWAH!!! ;)
 
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