A performing arts center I believe.

Those renderings of the memorial feature a disturbing amount of concrete pavement. I'd prefer a look closer to that of Bryant Park:

http://www.benstrawbridge.com/links/...1-18.30.05.jpg
benstrawbridge.com

http://wirednewyork.com/fountains/br...n_28sept03.jpg
wirednewyork.com

It Is Amazing How Real Those Pictures Look. Hopefully It Will Look Exactly Like It.

Great pics, NYguy!!

Can't wait to see it in person when it's all done!

i'm sure the concrete surface around the trees is meant to encourage people to wander through the memorial. if it were just sod they wouldn't be able to keep it alive with so much foot traffic.

I'm sure that the number of trees in the whole memorial is the same number of people who died on the towers.

NY Post

THEY WILL DO WINDOWS
LOOKING FORWARD TO WINDOWS ON THE WORLD III

February 13, 2008 -- THE new restaurant planned to replace Windows on the World won't be as big as the original. It won't be quite as high. And it's still at least five years away.

But what a thrill, this Valentine's Day week, to know that it's coming. New Yorkers who have come to doubt every announcement of "progress" at Ground Zero should know that, of all things planned there, a new, sky-high restaurant is the closest thing to a done deal.

This month, I sorely miss, as I have for the past six years, the reservation request that always gave me fits - for a Feb. 14 table at Windows on the World.

Friends said they'd settle for bad tables. But on short notice, I couldn't find them space in the broom closet, much less near a 107th floor window.

Ever since 9/11, Windows on the World's absence has been most painfully felt at holidays. That's why the Port Authority's request for proposals from eatery operators is so heartening in a week that celebrates the romantic heart.

Many will write off the planned opening in early 2013, still a long way off, as a joke. But, in fact, the new restaurant's home, now called "One World Trade Center, The Freedom Tower," is already rising. The steel has started from the earth.

The PA will not want for suitors to re-create what was the highest-grossing restaurant in the land. Who will make offers remains to be seen.

Lower Manhattan Development Corp. president David Emil was once head of Night Sky, the outfit that ran Windows pre-9/11; but he's no longer in the business, having sold most of his interest and left his executive role. However, Night Sky, which made a deal to run the Plaza's Oak Room, will surely give the RFP a close read.

I don't think the difference in height is all that dramatic, considering how tall the building will be. Just a matter of a few feet.

There Be Concrete
 

They're pouring the concrete for the B3 level of the North core today... :tup:

nice renders, i would like there wolud be more green areas tho..

Man is this thing ever going to rise above street level? If its been previously stated sorry, Im kinda new, but when will it start to rise above street level?

Can we Please have some construction Pics? Thanks.

Yes,way to much crete around those trees.
Also,whats the hieght of the lobby again?

I was about to ask the same thing.

www.cushmanwakefield.com

Cushman & Wakefield awarded exclusive freedom tower Leasing Agency

Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately held global real estate services firm, has been named the exclusive leasing agent for 1 World Trade Center, the Freedom Tower, by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Freedom Tower, currently under construction at the site of the former World Trade Center, will total over 240,000 sq m upon its completion in 2012.

“Cushman & Wakefield is thrilled and honored to have been named as the exclusive leasing agent for the Freedom Tower,” said Bruce Mosler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cushman & Wakefield.

“This building is a symbol of New York’s – and our nation’s – resurgence, and will become one of the most successful and globally recognized icons of all time. We are proud to partner with the Port Authority to bring this historic vision to reality, and to continue to play a leading role in the revival of Downtown Manhattan.”

Tara I. Stacom, Vice Chairman, is leading the Cushman & Wakefield leasing team.

To find out more about Cushman & Wakefield,
visit

Same feeling here. It had been a long time since we had updates.

Freedom Tower Progress Jan 22 - Feb 17, 2008
 

Progress looks slow but activity continues around the core.

http://www.custompuzzlecraft.com/tem...r_20080217.jpg

The left hand picture was clipped from http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/groundzero/ last January 22nd, the right hand picture today February 17, 2008. The core around the left hand crane has doubled in size. Steel support has appeared against the back wall.

Note the difference between the 2 pics above.

In the right one, there appears to be more steel against the slurry wall - a sign that things ARE moving right along.

Paris has lots of parks with cobblestone or gravel ground and big, thick trees to give shade, and they're positively beautiful. The memorial won't be dissappointing in the least.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/...a7dadf6c60.jpg
Mr-Pan on flickr.com

I couldn't agree with you more! That's the first thing I noticed when I saw those renderings. It makes the place uncomfortable and unapproachable. There's no place to relax without feeling like you're on a platter. The only reason I can come up with that they would design this like they have is that there is going to be an enormous amount of foot traffic from tourists, etc, and it will be cheaper to maintain in the short run. But one only needs to look as far as Hart Plaza in Detroit to see how poorly the concrete ages, and how uncomfortable a concrete space can be. Not to mention the movement of the concrete over time, cracking, etc, makes it look trashy eventually. The concrete may seem subdued by the aerial view because of all the trees, but at the ground level this is not a good design for the site. Personally, I would go with grass, like the photo CoolCzech posted.

Its a logisitics question, the grass would become trampled in no time.

And if you look at those pictures of Bryant Park no one is on the grass... they are all on the concrete. I think considering the amount of people coming to visit and the fact that it is a memorial not really a park lend to how it has turned out.

Exactly.

The black cross like things aren't steel... it's waterproofing for the slurry wall where the tie back endings are. It redirects any water to a proper drainage system. If you can find a picture of the north wall, you'll see them from one side of the wall to the other.

There are however, 6 new columns that were installed several weeks ago...

Glad to see that progress is still underway :tup:

i know this is a page or so back...but im excited. looking forward to eating here once it reopens! :yes:

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this before, but every time I look at the memorial..tower water fall holes...I always ask myself what will happen to someone if they fall in there? People may fall in there for all sorts of reasons..fooling around, 'stunt men', suicides [I really hope not..], and just plain crazy lunatics. I see that pit/trench, but still people are inventive.

My first glance of the holes is that its a hazard. I'm all for making a memorial to commemorate the victims, but this is just one part of it I don't understand.

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/92817855/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/92817877/original.jpg

It's a NYC test - if you can't avoid falling in the water then please please please stay away from the subway.

Boston has a park that looks similar to the one in the pic above in front of the
Harvard School of Medicine on Longwood Ave.

I think its a non-issue. You can say the same thing about a number of things, the subway for instance has no barriers whatsoever and people almost never purposely go into the tracks. A kid fell jumped or fell from a barrier at Yankee Stadium and was promptly arrested and banned from the Stadium. I can think of a million more effective ways to commit suicide than jumping in that shallow pit.

:haha: I just hope it will have a penny catcher/collector for all the tourists throwing loose change into it.

WTC Waterfall holes
 

Will be interesting to see how the WTC waterfall holes operate when the temperature is well below freezing.

Aside to Realthang - thanks for info re: slurry wall non-steel waterproofing.

Is it LEED certified? HAHAHA

My only real problem is with how many trees there are everywhere....I feel like you will meander through the memorial, and will have to just stumble upon the two huge holes in the ground. There is no vista for seeing them except right next to the pits, which I think makes it difficult to take in the enormity of what used to be buildings. I could be totally wrong, but the forest look is just rubbing me the wrong way.

Unless you're Helen Keller, you'll be able to see and hear 2 large waterfalls.

^ I was wondering whatever happened to Helen... :eek:

Just like I said before. It is a massive project. The bigger it is the longer it'll take to lay down the foundation. Since they're taking their time, they must be doing it right. Once the tower starts to rise, then I think things will speed up.

Of course there will be, how do you think they plan to recover the investment?

I thought that's what the Chinese were for?:D

Here is some photos from wtcrising.com (from Janyary):

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/c...20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/c...20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/c...20copy_big.jpg

You can't say there isn't any activity...

And as the tower gets even taller, more workers will come!

I remember when 7 WTC's concrete base seemed kind of slow. But once the steel started rising, the tower took off!

What the hell is that supposed to mean? :koko:

It means that the Chinese bailed out Citibank, Merrill Lynch and other financial institutions involved in the credit crunch. It's only a matter of time before they start purchasing large chunks of Real Estate. Incidentally, didn't a Chinese state-controlled holding company lease a large block of space at the Freedom Tower?

THAT'S WHAT THE HELL THAT MEANS!:hell:

Cool photos!

Yes, finally, getting up and above ground level. Its taken long enough.

I like the trees....I think they frame the waterfalls very nicely. If you want a vista of the falls you'd be better off seeing them from a few floors up. I think a wide open space would be butt ugly....we have too many of those as it is.

Wow, yeah its rising. Nice...

:cool:

A complicated massive construction project such as this normally takes some time just to reach street level, much less rise above it.

Looks good to me.

Wasn't that Vantone?

The same Chinese firm that was about to rent office in 7 WTC just before the deal went sour between them and Silverstein?

They seemingly took too long to produce the money, so Silvie had swiftly put the breaks on and shitcanned the deal.

back on topic ..... boys!