Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

[Sam]

Donald Trump has brought up something I agree with, but I was wondering what others think.
He thinks instead of building the "Freedom Tower" which has run into design problems, NYC should rebuild the World Trade Center Towers exactly where they stood, only one story taller. To show terrorist that they didn't "win".
Terrorist chose the WTC twice because to them it was a "symbol" of America.
I personally think it's a shame to loose that "symbol" myself, and I'm drawn to movies, TV shows, etc. that have the WTC in them.
I think we should rebuild them, only stronger than they were, and make them the TALLEST structures in the entire world.
What do you think?

[BartMack]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

Well, speaking from an architectural point of view, I'd say the original twin towers were the most banal high profile buildings ever built... they were all about a cost formula to maximize leasable area (and thus profits) with little to no attention paid to graceful form, or artistic contribution as it were, for such high profile 'symols' of the USA. They were giant ugly boxes.

Libeskind is a truly talented designer, and I would side with him, I expect, against David Childs of SOM... but they have arrived at a (somewhat painfully obtained) compromise the last I read.

While we were not looking, it seems, the other parts of the world have far exceeded us architecturally, especially in Asia, with only a very few shining exceptions scattered across the US.

Because of all of this, I by far favor a more graceful, needle-like tower to crown America's most famous & diverse city. To me, this would take the tragedy in stride and move on, giving the 'muslim deconstructivists' no creedence at all. To rebuild the twin towers in nearly identical form as before would (in my humble but very accurate opinion) validate those who knocked them down.

[FUN X 3]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

I sure miss those giant ugly boxes...

The footprints of those buildings should only be occupied by the memorials to those who died and gave their lives there.

Build the tower.

[fums6]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

Didn't Trump also say that if the Towers are not rebuilt the area should be turned into a beautiful park that would honor the memory of those killed and be a place for people to enjoy?

[ZOBCHEK]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

As someone who worked on 104 1 WTC long ago, I don't think anyone would want to work in a 110-story building again. Their were many design issues with regard to stairwells and locations of possible evacuation chutes,etc. The Freedom Tower has some security issues on the lower floors. This is what necessitated the re-design. I also have a problem with the asymetrical appearance of the new building with the glass spire coming out of one side of the building. It looks like a skyscraper with a hang nail. In deferance to those who perished at the site, the footprints of the old buildings should not have anything built on them. I believe Trump is a little late to the party. Where was he 2-3 years ago when they were taking ideas for designs, filiming the Apprentice? losing other people's money on his casinos?

[traveler]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

Everyone has an opinion and each is as valid as the next. I happened to love those 2 giant boxes. I loved the outside, I loved the inside. I loved the very top observatory and restaurant and I loved the lower shopping areas. We spent many beautiful lunches sitting in Tobin Plaza, watching free concerts, enjoying the hot summer weather, and watching the crowds, from everywhere in the world. Those 2 buildings could be seen from almost everywhere in Manhattan, much of New Jersey, and the other burroughs. I know I used their presence to help me orient myself when I'd come out of a subway stop. My husband and I were on the observatory 1 week before they went down. I happen to know Tony V has his office overlooking the hole in the ground that they have become. I have on my living room wall, an incredible 6 foot panorama picture of lower Manhattan in which those towers stand prominent and so very proud. Those buildings were brought in under budget, and earlier than expected. They were built strong and solid....to withstand almost anything....but who knew that horrible and cruel homicidal maniacs would feel compelled to take down what to them represented democracy, capitalism, and the United States?? To fly a plane into one of them, might have not have dropped it. But to fly 2 huge commercial jets???...well, we all know the horrible atrocity that followed.

Yea, I loved those towers, and I cried the day they went down, and I still cry when I go there and see the incredible destruction. This country came back. New York, and her people came back. I honestly hope and pray, those towers come back...in all their glory!!!!!!!!

[fxstsb]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

I think we should just move on. Unfortunate the situation was, billions has been given to people that have lost there loved ones yet those that fight for our freedoms and give there lives get what? If you build another tower(s) you just build another target.

[jerrym3]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

Tough decision.

Freedom Tower is, IMHO, ugly.

Putting the towers back they way they were is like saying "I dare you to do that again". And, we all know that they will try....again...and again.

Building the tallest building in the world is a great idea, until sombody builds one taller. Then, it's just another tall building.

My heart tells me to rebuild them, to show these killers that we are resilient and that you cannot destroy us or our way of life. But, my mind tells me never to work there unless absolutely necessary.

Nothing against Mr Trump, but I don't think that he has offered to occupy the top floor for his own use.

We all know that if the White House had been destroyed, we would have rebuilt it. Why should the Towers be any different?

Besides, I hate to think it, but they are probably looking at other much more deadly ways to kill many more of us, because 9/11 may have stopped the world for a while, but we have recovered.

I vote to rebuild them.

[Sam]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

It's a hard decision. I guess I just don't like seeing memorials built to terrorist.

I know they're supposed to be for the people who lost their lives, Oklahoma City, the McDonalds in Southern California, the World Trade Center, but the first things we think of are, the planes flying into the towers, the towers falling, half the building in Oklahoma City being blown away, THEN we think about the people who died.
I guess if I'd been alive at the time of Pearl Harbor, I'd have wanted the Arizona raised, rebuilt, and go after Japan. They did raise at least one of the ships, maybe more, then put them back into service in the Pacific.
Why not build a memorial on the plaza between the two new towers?
Yes, they were kinda ugly, but they were ours, and we got used to them. I miss seeing them in pictures of the NYC skyline, and miss watching for them when flying into NYC.
I'd like to see them again to show the terrorist that;
You can wound us, you can kill us, you can hurt us, But you can't kill our spirit, our pride, or our country, and like a Phoenix, rising out of the ashes, we'll be back, and we'll come after you. You aren't going to win!

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

I too have a pretty strong opinion in this. I feel that the footprints of the towers should have nothing on them. If we rebuild the towers as they were, in my opinion that is the same as replacing a lost "toy" or whatever without regards to how it was lost. Its as if we are shuffling, trying to hide the past, IMO. While Im not fond of the freedom tower, it is far better than building the identical towers back in place.

[AZTB]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

If I had a "toy" or something of value taken from me and destroyed, I'd be quick to replace it with the same or one better to let the culprit know my life goes on! While I have no regard or respect of Mr. Trump, in this instance I agree with him. And it goes without saying, that in a location of lives lost (i.e, U.S.S. Arizona), respect must be paid.

[Ladybird02]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

I also would replace that "lost toy", or as in this case 2 buildings, with something bigger and better (Taller? I am not so sure of!). I would rebuild with a "Don't mess with us again!" attitude, that I hope and pray all Americans now have toward terrorists.
REBUILD THOSE BUILDINGS! Many beautiful, brave people lost their lifes on that hallowed ground. I visited and viewed the destruction a few weeks after it happened. You couldn't help but cry as you looked at the destruction and the hundreds if not thousands of teddy bears, pictures of the dead, letters written to the dead, and pleas from survivors to help locate many of the victims, etc., etc. I have never been so deeply touched and angered so very much, feeling both emotions at the same time. How dare anyone cause so much pain to so many people!
IMHO, those buildings need to be replaced to allow Americans and America to move forward. A beautiful, well thought out Memorial needs to be placed between the two buildings, to pay respect to those survivors and victims, who in just a very short few minutes had their lives destroyed, but also and maybe more importantly as a reminder to ensure that no American ever forget that horrible day of destruction that terrorists reigned upon us.

[BartMack]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

We all know that if the White House had been destroyed, we would have rebuilt it. Why should the Towers be any different?

I would definitely agree about reconstructing the white house had that happened, but I don't see a parallel there with the towers..there are some clear differences in my mind:

The White House is a highly historic building owned and cared for by the public trust, it represents our heritage and electoral government, and is a finely crafted elegantly proportioned example of exceptional architecture...

The WTC TT was a privately constructed speculative real estate enterprise geared for the singular purpose of making money through leasable office space- a totally American past time for sure, but neither you nor I as a citizen have an interest in that like we do a civic structure such as the White House, Capitol Building, and even the Pentagon... it would be sort of like rebuilding a Wal Mart, albeit a really, really big one

[Sam]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

Just looked up some of the ships that were at Pearl Harbor 12-7-1941.

USS Arizona, sank, is now a memorial.
USS Oklahoma, capsized, scrapped 1942.
USS Nevada, sat in several feet of water for 2 months, repaired and returned to service May 1943, used as target for atomic testing 1946, sunk by the Navy 1948.
USS Vestal, beached, repaired 1942, scrapped 1950.
USS Tennessee, badly damaged, went in for repairs in, returned to service in May 1943.
USS West Virginia, badly damaged, went in for repairs, returned to service in mid 1944, scrapped 1959.
USS Maryland, went back into service February 1942, scrapped 1959.
USS California, sank completely, raised March 1942, returned to service January 1944, scrapped 1959.
All of these ships suffered loss of life, none as bad as the Arizona, or Oklahoma, but men died on them just the same.
Many of these ships were build in 1912, 1914, 1916, and all were old when they were attacked, but they returned to the Pacific, many looked completely new, some looked the same, but they returned and gave the Japanese a major dose of "Whup A**"
Can you imagine how the Japs felt when they saw the VERY SAME ships they'd bombed at Pearl Harbor BACK, and attacking them!
Like the Phoenix, they rose up from not the ashes, but the ocean floor, and showed the Japanese what Americans are all about!
I say, put the towers back where they were, the bodies of those poor people who perished aren't there at the "footprints" of those towers. Sadly they're at some scrapyard where the debris was taken.

[BartMack]

Re: Freedom Tower, or Twin Towers?

well... if you guys all want to go the whup-ass route, then let's rebuild the towers in downtown Baghdad.. that should drive the message home