NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,787' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[CarlosV]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

Won't be much different from the one on the North Tower's roof.



Also most of the people that are saying that are either people that live in Chicago and are happy to have their Willis Tower for another day, or they are fearful that it would be attacked, but then again any building can be attacked. Those people are just ignorant because the World Trade Center was attacked once. See how sometimes I wished 9/11/2001 never happened?

^^^
attacked twice 1993, 2001

[Roadcruiser1]

Agreed. The Empire State Building was built during the Great Depression with absolutely no problems. What is going on with the World Trade Center?

[Roadcruiser1]

Originally Posted by CarlosV

^^^
attacked twice 1993, 2001

Don't worry I highly doubt a 9/11 like even will ever happen again.

[jthornton17]

I just have to ask this question to all my friends in New York. With all the powerful people in NYC, why doesn't anybody stand up here and do what's right? I mean, is there just nothing that can be done? How can a site that's so important, be so disgraced? Is this final or will we atleast see something else go up, other than this?

[NYguy]

^ Because there's a difference in being a disgrace, and being ugly. The redesign won't be attractive, but no one can argue that it is a disgrace. It's an office building.

Originally Posted by Urbana

I can't imagine the rendering posted here is final. I am sure SOM is working on something to make it more architecturally pleasing as we speak. I didn't see any indication that the rendering were even official, it may just be something a New York Times worker threw together

Well, it's nice to dream, but more important to read.

Asked whether architects could find a compromise design, Mr. Durst demurred. The scaled-down top, he said, "is going to be mounted on the building over the summer. There's no way to do anything at this point."

It's what will be built unless someone steps in to change minds. That would have to be the Port Authority, but it was the PA who approved the change. It would be left to their bosses (the governors) to overrule.


A closer look from the Wall Street Journal...









That's obviously an antenna as opposed to a spire.

[yankeesfan1000]

Originally Posted by Urbana

I can't imagine the rendering posted here is final. I am sure SOM is working on something to make it more architecturally pleasing as we speak. I didn't see any indication that the rendering were even official, it may just be something a New York Times worker threw together

I'm clinging on to the idea that SOM has something up their sleeve, because what has been pictured is hideous. No way around it. This is encouraging I suppose:

"...David Childs, the building's lead designer, said in a statement. "We stand ready to work with the Port on an alternate design."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...619775032.html

[MikelAS]

Is that the new communications ring? That looks HIDEOUS! We all need to write to someone (governor?) to express our displeasure with this atrocity.

[marshall]

Whoa, what the hell??! They are changing the communications ring toon? When the hell did this happen? I thought only the spire would be affected..That rendering of the revised antenna/ring is UGLY as HELL! Why would they strip the parapet down too? I sure hope SOM or the PA or somebody who cares about design on this tower will stop being a wimp and speak up, like ASAP! Leave the damn tower alone, you idiotic corporate suits! Did you go to design school? I think not. They should just build the roof itself higher, to 1776 feet, and then if they want a basic antenna, so be it..But ONLY if they build the roof higher!

[NYC GUY]

I just have a question on how the Bank of America tower's spire is a spire. Since the Bank of America towers spire is open not enclosed why is 1WTC's antenna not considered a spire?

[gramsjdg]

They've taken the hideous monstrosity that is Four Times Square's antenna, engorged it, and placed it on what will be the most prominent building in the city. Add to that a now naked communications ring.

The building would look better with nothing on top as opposed to this. It overwhelmingly clashes with the architectural style of the building. I can't believe that the powers that be in NYC will allow this to happen.

[Don098]

Originally Posted by Urbana

I can't imagine the rendering posted here is final. I am sure SOM is working on something to make it more architecturally pleasing as we speak. I didn't see any indication that the rendering were even official, it may just be something a New York Times worker threw together

That's extraordinarily hopeful and pretty ridiculous. That's a professional render, and it hasn't been photoshopped from a previous one. If Durst is calling the new design "not the end of the world" and downplaying its significance, what could possibly make you think that they care about aesthetics? They're engineers, not architects, and blaming the architects for not accounting for maintenance is a typical engineer-architectural culture war.

[gramsjdg]

Originally Posted by NYC GUY

I just have a question on how the Bank of America tower's spire is a spire. Since the Bank of America towers spire is open not enclosed why is 1WTC's antenna not considered a spire?

I'm going to hazard a guess that there is no communications equipment on it, so its function is purely aesthetic. Personally, I don't think Spires or antennas should count in the final height of any building. Now if there is an obs deck in it, that might be different. But I don't think safety standards would allow for something to hold people if it is not structural...

[sw5710]

Does David Childs still need to talk with the port about options or is what Durst said the final verdict. They now all agree?

[Roadcruiser1]

That's it. Tell Durst to drop dead.

[marshall]

Lets HOPE this is not set in stone yet! If this awful alteration to the design is decided upon, then I have a great idea....do away with an antenna completely, and put a rooftop observation deck on top, like on the old South Tower! Would solve the constant quarreling about the spire/antenna, and give many visitors what they want...the chance to take in the amazing views from the roof like in the old days! Come on Durst, give us SOMETHING to look forward to!

[meh_cd]

At least it is painted white in the "newest" render that NY Guy posted. Christ what an ugly mess.

I can't tell if the communications ring in that render is what it will look like permanently, or if it is just an example of an "empty" version of the ring without any broadcast dishes installed.

[JayPro]

Don't know quite what to think right now......

Perhaps if the radome would be as difficult to maintain overall has Mr. Durst tried to justify, this could be seen by some perhaps not as much a matter of value engineering as simply being realistic....especially if the overall WTC completion timeline is expected to be fulfilled.

TBH, I was never 100% on board with the whole idea. The somewhat bloated shell IMO created a visual discontinuity with the geometry of the building.
And the decision to change the telecom ring to a circular design from the polygonal one before it more or less committed the same insult...maybe more blatantly.

If the above sketches show us what we in fact wind up getting, perhaps they'll live up to the tried and true principle that renderings are generally not completely faithful to the actual finished product.

Stay tuned(?).........I have a slight feeling that we haven't heard the final verdict.

Edit: I *do* wonder if this latest trip-up will spur Bloomberg to throw his hat into the debate. Again, I hear too much hot air being released from too many official big mouths to make sense of what's really happening. There's no way of telling right now who has the last word...at least from my POV.

Edit 2: The more I look at what I originally wrote here, the more I think it is a dangerous thing to give the benefit of the doubt to any public official who thinks he can just trot out lame excuses and expect everyone beneath him to fall for it hook, line and sinker. End of Editing.

[JayPro]

After reading others' comments and a bit of thought on the issue:

Indeed, why didn't Durst just come out and say *much* earlier in the process that in his opinion, the cladded spire/antenna wouldn't be practical for reasons A, B and C? This literally wicked curveball seems to be courtesy of a corrupt and/or inept PA. Durst has proven himself a stooge for them with his comments. It's BS artistry by proxy; and to do so at such an important juncture in the process is suspicious at best...but equally predictable.

[599GTO]

NYC's new landmark looks like crap. Really, that antenna looks nasty as hell. The posters telling us to get over it are even more shameful. London or Paris would never compromise the design of a new highly touted landmark. Well, they have style after all. But in typical NYC, everything must be trash and watered down to maximize every cent of profit, aesthetics be damned. I absolutely hate the developers in this city. Tacky, cheap, lacking an once of civic pride. And that cheap greedy pig bastard Durst has the nerve to lie and blame the redesign on "difficult maintenance"?!

And yes, I hope the 1,776 height designation is revoked immediately. It's 1,373 ft which is so pitiful on the global stage. No longer even the tallest building in the USA! You would think a site like the WTC Complex deserves much more. Such a shame, I was just getting warmed up to the slightly banal design of 1 WTC and the only thing I was really excited for is the spire. Now it's gone!

10 years later: 1 WTC. Blotched. 2 WTC. Nonexistent. 3 WTC. Non existent (and the design of course was shortened, watered down in the process). Tower four, the shortest and most banal of the complex of course is springing up, untouched. NYC.

[Otie]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Originally Posted by NYguy