NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

Originally Posted by Duck From NY

Sorry if I didn't notice an explanation before, but why are the corners of the base no longer turned inward? Safety? Cost?

cost.

Durst gets to keep a large percentage of any money that save the PA on the building, so, change the base, cut the cost of it in half, they get a good chunk of change. Same with the Spire.

[GeorgiaBoy24]

Was in Atlanta the other day and I looked up at the Bank of America Plaza's roof line. The open-lattice steel covering looks nice so I was wondering would the same type of thing be possible to fit over One WTC's mast? By the way that building has a GOLD spire... You'd think that a building WAY more significant could at least have something attractive on top.

[patrick989]

This spire/antenna argument is seriously getting beaten beyond death at this point. Yes, we realize it sucks that Durst is exhibiting those symptoms of Greedy Rich Asshole Syndrome, but it is what it is. I think we should be excited for this building being finished in the near future, I know I am.

[chris123678]

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed_Tx

cost.

Durst gets to keep a large percentage of any money that save the PA on the building, so, change the base, cut the cost of it in half, they get a good chunk of change. Same with the Spire.

It was for safety. The prismatic glass was tested and it was found that it broke into dangerous shards.

[deepen915]

Originally Posted by chris123678

It was for safety. The prismatic glass was tested and it was found that it broke into dangerous shards.

safety my ass.. it's glass, they could use a different type of glass and still keep the angled base.. squaring it off kills the whole triangular shape of the tower!

[Duck From NY]

Originally Posted by chris123678

It was for safety. The prismatic glass was tested and it was found that it broke into dangerous shards.

I was talking about the angles at the corner of the base, not the materials that will be used to sheath it.

[pnapp1]

Originally Posted by deepen915

safety my ass.. it's glass, they could use a different type of glass and still keep the angled base.. squaring it off kills the whole triangular shape of the tower!

Chris is correct. They did a mockup almost 2 years ago and it failed miserably. Just a simple throw of a small sledgehammer broke the glass. Look it up. It's on video as well.

You'll also see that the glass tested was very high grade glass. The prism cuts simply didn't work.

As for the redesign, I like it... no more... no less than the original.

[CarlosV]

DSC_4890 copy by Ceva321, on Flickr

[NewYorkDominates]

Carlos,how do you feel that you have that view 24/7?Wow.

MOJOman





http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-58899-1.html

[chris123678]

Originally Posted by deepen915

safety my ass.. it's glass, they could use a different type of glass and still keep the angled base.. squaring it off kills the whole triangular shape of the tower!

I suggest you do some research before you start drawing these conclusions.

[Otie]

Originally Posted by deepen915

safety my ass.. it's glass, they could use a different type of glass and still keep the angled base.. squaring it off kills the whole triangular shape of the tower!

The chinesse subcontractor couldn't fabricate the sheets of prisms and meet the safety standards at the same time, any attempt to continue the job would have increased substantially the overall cost with no guarantee of finding a proper solution.

SOM worked on an alternate design that had as top priority to look for cheaper materials and fabrication methods and at the same time fit the design to the building's architectural language, maybe the corners are gone but the continuity between the base and the office curtain wall is preserved (IMO it looks improved).

[Roadcruiser1]

Again? What is so good about the original base? It looks like a Chinese takeout box. The new design is extremely similar to the base of the former Twin Towers. I like it more than the old one. Now if they added the tridents.

[NYC GUY]

I too like the new base better alot. I heard it's supposed to light up in the night in different colors also.

[mat97]

Originally Posted by Enigmatism415

Do you have pictures?

I took these yesterday afternoon:

Still only four beams and this will be topping out!!

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

Again? What is so good about the original base? It looks like a Chinese takeout box. The new design is extremely similar to the base of the former Twin Towers. I like it more than the old one. Now if they added the tridents.

I have heard this before but I would say: "Barely reminiscent of..." A takeout box has four sides that cant inwards, while the original design of the base of 1WTC had four vertical sides with four chamfered corners. In shape, it was an exact copy of the first several office floors, only inverted.

Personally, I preferred the original. I liked the symmetry with the rest of the tower. While the new version is reminiscent of the old towers, it now looks tacked on, with little thematic ties to the upper portion of the tower. Also as you pointed out, now that it looks so similar to the old tower, the missing trident shapes become conspicuous by their absence and serves as a continuous reminder of something that is lost.


(Image found here: http://murraydms.ning.com/forum/topi...ource=activity )


(Close-up of image found on first page of this thread: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=123628 )

[Kevin Scott Koepke]

lower manhattan; 8/20/2012 by kevin scott koepke photography, on Flickr

[NewYorkDominates]

From an ironworkers down at WNY:

I believe the base stays naked for some time. The main tower isn't due to be topped out with cladding until late January 2013. Given the shear amount of activity and loading still required all around the base, I think they'll hold off putting up material that will no doubt be damaged. (I could be wrong, it's very "PA" to put something up "just because" and not care amount the damage or inconvenience).

Current schedule:

1: The 2 cranes jump into the "doghouse" by the end of this week.
2: East and West cooling towers go up.
3: Build north crane support platform by Labor Day.
4: Relocate north crane by mid September.
5: North cooling tower by Sept 20.
6: 2nd tier of temp platform for south crane.
7: South crane relocates to support platform by end of October.

I had a gut feeling the base wouldn't be covered in clad during October,but than again,it's all assumptions.Take note though:IrishInNYC is a very reliable source and is an ironworker at the site.

[CarlosV]

Originally Posted by NewYorkDominates

Carlos,how do you feel that you have that view 24/7?Wow.

feel very lucky!!!



DSC_4894 copy by Ceva321, on Flickr

[chris123678]

Originally Posted by NewYorkDominates

From an ironworkers down at WNY:



I had a gut feeling the base wouldn't be covered in clad during October,but than again,it's all assumptions.Take note though:IrishInNYC is a very reliable source and is an ironworker at the site.

I saw this aswell. I agree, but then again, the lifted steel without breaking the windows above 20, maybe they can do it with the base.

[Don098]

Originally Posted by NewYorkDominates

From an ironworkers down at WNY:



I had a gut feeling the base wouldn't be covered in clad during October,but than again,it's all assumptions.Take note though:IrishInNYC is a very reliable source and is an ironworker at the site.

It's been known for years....yes, years...that the base cladding would not start until the regular cladding had been completed and the building was topped out. I continually do not understand why people are waiting around for the base cladding. It will not happen until nearly all of the other exterior work is completed. And how can you put cladding on corners that haven't been squared off yet?? Use your brains, people.