June 30, 2005

Freedom Tower is a Failure

From what I've read about the redesign of the Freedom Tower in New York City it sounds like a 1776-foot tall bunker.

There are some notable changes in the design by architect David Childs, who planned the original structure: The lobby sits inside the base, a 200-foot-tall pedestal, sheathed in concrete, steel, titanium and other blast-resistant metals. And the building's perimeter has been shrunk to 200 feet, mirroring the size of each of the original twin towers.

...

Childs said the tower's life-safety systems — including sprinklers, elevators, stairwells and communications equipment — would be protected by a 3-foot-thick wall of reinforced concrete, clad in a shimmering metal curtain that will afford additional blast protection.

Visually the surface reminds me of the narrow, almost pinstripe lines of the Twin Towers. I never liked those. The protrusion at the top looks like something from a Soviet Social Realism painting. It's tall, stands out, and is iconic but not in a good way. This is San Francisco's Transamerica Building but without the grace. Modern architecture fails again.

"Tower Design Tweaked for Security"