Is there hope for the WTC site?

Jul 22, 2004

Is there hope for the WTC site?

I didn't realize that Felix Salmon was impressed by big-names.

He attaneded a meeting on the WTC site and writes that he was

"...impressed by the quality of the professionals in charge of this project, and reasonably confident that if anybody can come up with a workable solution to the myriad of problems that the site throws up, they can."

I hope Felix is correct. But I do ask if any of these professionals -- and the way it's phrased somehow reminds me of the line from 2001 that it was good to see "adults back in charge in the White House" -- well have any of these big name designers ever, on any site, anywhere, actually demionstrated any skill in urban design i.e. creating real streetscapes? And I do mean that as a factual question.

My impression however is that -- for Libeskind at least and he is a very big part -- the answer is a strident and cutting-edge "No!....Sidewalk? What sidewalk! We are designing philosophy in 3 dimensions here!"

Am I wrong?

Jul 22, 2004 6:59:11 AM

2 Comments

Looking at Felix's post, I'm not sure I read his comments as being starchitect-struck - he's talking about them as professionals, not designers or talents. On another note, my impression was that David Childs was the lead architect for the actual construction docs - has he been booted, or was he just not at this meeting?

FWIW, the Midtown skyscraper near Times Square designed by SOM's Childs (it's the subject of the excellent book Skyscraper) has a pretty good street-level presence. I don't think that retail was part of the program - maybe a newsstand? - but having walked by it a few times, both aware of it and unaware (ie, paying attention to it and not)), it works on the sidewalk, with well-proportioned arcades and no deep setbacks.

[cross-posted at felixsalmon]

Posted by: JRoth | Jul 22, 2004 at 07:38 AM