Comments on: FIVE YEARS, FOUR TOWERS, LEED GOLD ALL AROUND http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/ Future-forward design for the world you inhabit Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:48:56 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Normanhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-7013 Norman Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:05 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-7013 What the city suffered from and grew extremely tired of was a protracted clash between the city and state government’s well meaning design competition to rebuild the trade center and, understandably and deservedly, include a memorial, vs, the private property owner’s desire to quickly rebuild his site, with his own architect’s design, to maximize it’s potential (aka profit). The personality clash between the ultimately competing (originally cooperating) architects was just a part of the problem.Ultimately Liebskin got screwed over, but at least the city got the needed memorial it should have had from the start. Unfortunately in the process, as feathers needed unruffling and egos stroked, we also got stuck with a bunch of unrelated buildings including a Chicago Sears-Hancock Tower Hybrid and Chicago Associates Center step child.As far as green buildings go, New York has come a long way towards environmentally responsible buildings, more so than other cities to my understanding, but not far enough. I just don’t think there are enough green savvy architects in New York at this time. What the city suffered from and grew extremely tired of was a protracted clash between the city and state government’s well meaning design competition to rebuild the trade center and, understandably and deservedly, include a memorial, vs, the private property owner’s desire to quickly rebuild his site, with his own architect’s design, to maximize it’s potential (aka profit). The personality clash between the ultimately competing (originally cooperating) architects was just a part of the problem.

Ultimately Liebskin got screwed over, but at least the city got the needed memorial it should have had from the start. Unfortunately in the process, as feathers needed unruffling and egos stroked, we also got stuck with a bunch of unrelated buildings including a Chicago Sears-Hancock Tower Hybrid and Chicago Associates Center step child.

As far as green buildings go, New York has come a long way towards environmentally responsible buildings, more so than other cities to my understanding, but not far enough.
I just don’t think there are enough green savvy architects in New York at this time.

]]> By: Psuedonymhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6851 Psuedonym Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:40:48 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6851 I love the aesthetics of Daniel Libeskind’s Freedom Tower, but I feel that the other buildings are taking away from the significance of his design. Overall, the area looks cluttered rather than thoughtfully placed. Although I am glad that work is finally taking place at Ground Zero, I wish a little more thought would be given to the three additional buildings. Sometimes less is more. Just because the land is there, does not mean we have to build on it.I was unaware about the Green Ground Zero campaign, however. Thankfully they are taking the environment into consideration. Since this is such a high profile site, it may draw more attention to sustainable architecture and the ability to make it more mainstream. I love the aesthetics of Daniel Libeskind’s Freedom Tower, but I feel that the other buildings are taking away from the significance of his design. Overall, the area looks cluttered rather than thoughtfully placed. Although I am glad that work is finally taking place at Ground Zero, I wish a little more thought would be given to the three additional buildings. Sometimes less is more. Just because the land is there, does not mean we have to build on it.

I was unaware about the Green Ground Zero campaign, however. Thankfully they are taking the environment into consideration. Since this is such a high profile site, it may draw more attention to sustainable architecture and the ability to make it more mainstream.

]]> By: Louhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6596 Lou Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:04:30 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6596 Just wish they would get one of these up... Just wish they would get one of these up…

]]> By: Kazmer Kovacshttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6581 Kazmer Kovacs Thu, 14 Sep 2006 09:50:22 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6581 If one not only looks at larger sites designed by one and only architect, but also tries to imagine living in them, any "weird hodge-podge of competing aesthetics" finally seems preferable to any "beautifully cohesive original design", regardless its aesthetic quality. If one not only looks at larger sites designed by one and only architect, but also tries to imagine living in them, any “weird hodge-podge of competing aesthetics” finally seems preferable to any “beautifully cohesive original design”, regardless its aesthetic quality.

]]> By: aaronhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6468 aaron Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:22:11 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6468 hodge-podge indeed, what are they thinking? hodge-podge indeed, what are they thinking?

]]> By: Anthonyhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6454 Anthony Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:45:24 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6454 Buildings at ground zero: Green = good. Architecture = mediocrity. What should be uplifting, transcendant and inpiring is derivative, corporate and bland. This signifcant sight and lower Manhattan (not to mention the whole of America, which feels a stake in the place) deserve better. These sterile monuments to commerce are not worthy to be background for a memorial of such signifcance. Alas, the whole process has been a mean lesson in private greed and a lack of visionary leadership. Buildings at ground zero: Green = good. Architecture = mediocrity. What should be uplifting, transcendant and inpiring is derivative, corporate and bland. This signifcant sight and lower Manhattan (not to mention the whole of America, which feels a stake in the place) deserve better. These sterile monuments to commerce are not worthy to be background for a memorial of such signifcance. Alas, the whole process has been a mean lesson in private greed and a lack of visionary leadership.

]]> By: Richiehttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6433 Richie Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:22:40 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6433 'Ellsworth Toohey' ('The Fountainhead', Ayn Rand) would be so proud ! It's creativity by committe ! Sir Norman Foster's design was the best. Liebskind 'won' the competition because small minds decided... and then they even SCREWED him out of having his design realized !the truth is that the people who decide by committee what gets built on this site will never be happy until these designs all have aluminum siding, have malls inside, and a memorial which features a permanently 'on tour' extension of the Mormon Tabenacle Choir singing dirges and prayers on a 20 miute continuous cycle.As Donald Trump said; Why not rebuild the same two towers ?Yeah... why not ?Maybe the same (2) towers are not being rebuilt because structural steel doesn't melt until it's heated to 3,000 º (while jet fuel only burns at 2,000º)... and rebuilding structures that could not have collapsed from burning jet fuel weakened steel skeletons raises too many questions ? ‘Ellsworth Toohey’ (’The Fountainhead’, Ayn Rand) would be so proud ! It’s creativity by committe ! Sir Norman Foster’s design was the best. Liebskind ‘won’ the competition because small minds decided… and then they even SCREWED him out of having his design realized !

the truth is that the people who decide by committee what gets built on this site will never be happy until these designs all have aluminum siding, have malls inside, and a memorial which features a permanently ‘on tour’ extension of the Mormon Tabenacle Choir singing dirges and prayers on a 20 miute continuous cycle.

As Donald Trump said; Why not rebuild the same two towers ?

Yeah… why not ?

Maybe the same (2) towers are not being rebuilt because structural steel doesn’t melt until it’s heated to 3,000 º (while jet fuel only burns at 2,000º)… and rebuilding structures that could not have collapsed from burning jet fuel weakened steel skeletons raises too many questions ?

]]> By: John Coxhttp://www.inhabitat.com/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/comment-page-1/#comment-6430 John Cox Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:18:18 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/blog/2006/09/11/five-years-four-towers-leed-gold-all-around/#comment-6430 I prefer Libeskind's design a lot. It has a symbolic as well as functional purpose. I never understood the controversy it generated. From here in the UK it just looked like a childish personality clash -- the committee just didn't seem to like him. Was there ever anything more to it than that? I prefer Libeskind’s design a lot. It has a symbolic as well as functional purpose. I never understood the controversy it generated. From here in the UK it just looked like a childish personality clash — the committee
just didn’t seem to like him. Was there ever anything more to it than that?

]]>