NEW YORK | 200 Greenwich - 2 WTC | 1,270 FT | 80 FLOORS | ON HOLD

[CoolCzech]

Originally Posted by Lecom

True. Nothing is new under the sun. Every skyscraper ever designed blatantly copies the ideas of that first pioneer in history who decided to add a second story to his bungalow.

Well, yeah. See, I had this idea once for this thing I call a "roof"...

[Obey]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Perhaps. But if I wanted to go down that road, I would be here all day comparing various skysrapers and combinations to other similar skyscrapers. Worth noting just for the topic of conversation, but not unusual, and not a big deal.

I know, its just interesting. The architect probably wasn't even thinking of these towers while he designed 2WTC.

[Don098]

Well, it's not like this design is the most original thing on the planet...I'm not surprised that other architects had the same idea...

If anything, it was probably an homage to the original plans by Libeskind rather than these other anonymous buildings.

[RoldanTTLB]

Not to pick nits, but the Smurfit-Stone Building is not the least bit anonymous...

[SkyscrapersOfNewYork]

guys we really shouldn't try to make assumptions about what the architect thought when he designed this tower. its really a dead end conversation...

[Lecom]

Originally Posted by CoolCzech

Well, yeah. See, I had this idea once for this thing I call a "roof"...

You plaigarizing buffoon, you took my idea! I was the first one to decide that we must be shielded from the elements!

Either way, to me the inspiration behind the tower seems largely self-explanatory. Its basic height in relation to other buildings was defined by the Libeskind master plan. Its ground floor takes cues from Libeskind's Wedge of Light plaza, then copies the same angle on all sides in a symmetrical manner. Then the shape is extruded vertically to maximize office space. Finally, the tower is finished with a clear diagonal cut to defer to the site and relate the tower back to the Libeskind's massing.

This whole talk of who copied who is as silly as the people who complain that Abraj Al Bait in Makkah copied the Big Ben, or Moscow State University, or whatever else. Arbaj Al Bait has many similarities with Moscow State University, which itself is a derivative of New York's Municipal Building, which is loosely based on the design of Italian bell towers, which largely originate from a prominent mosque in Morocco, tying the whole thing back to Islamic roots. And that's not counting all the other cross-influences. These things aren't a matter of copy, they are a matter of evolution.

[Dac150]

^^^Exactly; just as one could say the cross bracing element which is seen on Tower Three is inspired by Big John in Chicago. It’s pointless to speculate inspiration as every building in some way, shape or form derives from a previous concept.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Lecom

Its ground floor takes cues from Libeskind's Wedge of Light plaza, then copies the same angle on all sides in a symmetrical manner. Then the shape is extruded vertically to maximize office space. Finally, the tower is finished with a clear diagonal cut to defer to the site and relate the tower back to the Libeskind's massing.

Yeah, the Wedge of Light Plaza was part of the master plan. I can see how many find similarities of this tower with Libiskind's model, but for me Libeskind's design could just as easily be the Freedom Tower (minus the spire of course).

But here is a description of the project from Foster's website
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/pro...7/default.aspx

A key component in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, this seventy-nine-storey building at 200 Greenwich Street continues the practice’s investigations into the nature of the office tower. One of the most important urban planning and architectural challenges of recent times, the concept is driven by memory; but equally it is motivated by a sense of rebirth, its sparkling glazed crystalline form and diamond-shaped summit forming a bold new addition to the New York skyline.

The building occupies a pivotal position at north-east corner of Memorial Park, and its profile reflects this role as a symbolic marker. Arranged around a central cruciform core, the shaft is articulated as four interconnected blocks with flexible, column-free office floors that rise to level sixty-four, whereupon the building is cut at angle to address the Memorial below.

Function rooms within the summit have spectacular views of the river, the park and the city.

The core arrangement on the office floors allows for cross-corridor circulation, providing orientation and opening up views. The core culminates in flexible zones – places to locate staircases between floors or create double-height atria – which allows tenants to adapt the floors to suit their specific needs. Designed to meet the highest energy ratings, the project takes forward many of the ideas explored in the Hearst Tower and similarly aims to achieve the gold standard under the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design programme (LEED).

Connections with the city at ground level are reinforced by glass walls, which create a visual relationship with the surrounding streets. The triple-height lobby is connected at the Greenwich Street entrance to the MTA providing direct access to the underground system. The lobby rises in level along Vesey Street and includes a further connection with the transport system via escalators and a four-storey shopping area connecting with Fulton Street and spilling out on to the Wedge of Light plaza.

[Skyscraper Sebastian]

Two World Trade Center's crown is amazing. I remember when I made a drawing of 2WTC, I almost gave up because of the complexity of those 4 rhombuses at the top. Alos, when will they start building some steel at the site?

[NYguy]

Image taken from wtc.com

[bkraig4life]

NY Guy, your last 2 pics, starting with the first reminds me of a salvage yard or a recycling yard. Only on the second do I see that everything there is for a purpose. Maybe my eyes are getting bad!

[NYguy]

^ There's a lot of work being done in what looks like chaos. A far cry from the days when it was just an empty pit.

[Troubadour]

Originally Posted by NYguy

^ There's a lot of work being done in what looks like chaos. A far cry from the days when it was just an empty pit.

I can't imagine how human beings manage such complexity. Just keeping the different parts of the process out of each other's way without exponential delays must take a whole team of elaborate planners.

[patriotizzy]

Originally Posted by Troubadour

I can't imagine how human beings manage such complexity. Just keeping the different parts of the process out of each other's way without exponential delays must take a whole team of elaborate planners.

I still don't get how buildings can get so tall. I've been told but it's just ridiculous how people can structure everything together and have buildings last as long as they do. Anyways, that's a whole different conversation lol. Still, I'm happy to see a lot of ground work for 2WTC.

[2-TOWERS]

Will There Be 2 Cranes ?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by 2-TOWERS

Will There Be 2 Cranes ?

It looks that way. (Look closer)

[NYguy]

One thing about the arrival of cranes on the tower sites, they will be visible markers of where the towers are rising or will rise.

JANUARY 11, 2011

[sw5710]

In the pictures from NY guy from 1/10/11 you can see the bottom section is up for the 2nd tower crane at the core just below the 1st constructed crane.

[vandelay]

The similarities in buildings is nothing new for Foster. Lately all he seems to do is take existing buildings and tweak them. Tower 2 is definitely Smurfitt Stone 2. Just like the Bow is Toronto City Hall 2.

[STR]