May 25, 2002Toohey SucksALERT: Time Magazine, May 27, 2002; an article about the re-development plans for the World Trade Tower area. Says architect David Childs (of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill) about the World Trade Center towers: they were symbols of "...the mid-century arrogance of architects...what they did to lower Manhattan was an act of vandalism just as complete as September 11th."Holy crap: the spirit of Ellsworth Monkton Toohey is alive & well in New York City in the year 2002. Disgusting. I can't imagine any person - any *rational* person - comparing the genius it took to create these buildings, to the basest instincts of truly wicked people that caused their destruction. Even putting aside his snide comment about "arrogance," his linking of the construction of the towers to brutal terrorism is unforgivable. If you would like to call Mr. Childs and express your outrage at his apparent inability to distinguish between the creation of two magnificent structures and the worst act of barbarism & terrorism in history, his number is 646-805-7300, or mobile 646-734-4181. Call him & tell him how you feel -- if he's not available, leave a strongly worded (but calm) message. Thanks. Posted at May 25, 2002 01:14 AMCOMMENTS!
A better call might tbe to his employer, a Mr. Magill, managing partner at Mr. Childs firm, SOM, 212.298.9300. Posted by: Howard Roark at May 26, 2002 05:11 PMFrom what I can tell (and I can), his designs for the new buildings SUCK. "Then again, where will you find a developer willing to pay for 40 stories of unprofitable frosting on his cake?" Thank you, Annessa. And for those who are wondering about Annessa's credentials, her father was a well-respected architect; obviously, his sense of style rubbed off on her! Posted by: davidmsc at May 28, 2002 03:39 AM
Umm
.ok, I will bite. In the 1960s-1970s New York City was bankrupted. This was the era of declining population and increased crime, graffiti, and other elements of base society. Then one day [overemphasizing] business and government came to the realization that they could use their power of eminent domain and clean up the city, evict the homeless, and tear down the slums. No one really remembers what the Lower East Side/Point was like in the 60s/70s. It was a neighborhood of mostly immigrants and transients. Not the most glamorous part of the city at the time [but what part of the city is not without its ills when a disproportionate amount of the population are immigrants or working poor]. So the city and NJ created the Port Authority and decided to declare portions of the Lower Tip a blighted area with the ability for the Port Authority to begin construction. Because this project was aimed primarily as an economic vehicle, the maximum FAR [floor area ratio] was needed. So the architect cleared all of the small twisting streets [1] and created what we now would call a superb block. This literally tore the neighborhood apart, allowing for other businesses to enter. To compare 9/11 to this act is a bit far, but peoples lives were forever changed, much like 9/11.
We should not honor those who died with nostalgia. That building is purge 1960s America. We have grown so much in the last 40 years. Should we rebuild, yes. Bu not the WTC Mark II, a variant, or some edifice that trys to evoke a relation to, or stylistically copies the WTC. Let us build in the now, and remember the past, not re-build the past. Oh, by the way, the WTC was not at full occupancy at the time of collapse and there wasnt a waiting list either. Even now with some 29 million square feet of rentable space gone, the vacancy rate is climbing. [2]. The idea of rebuilding towers as large as the WTC does not make economic sense. Therefore we wont, probably, see anything on the size of the WTC at that site. Posted by: plemeljr at May 30, 2002 04:49 PM Post a comment
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