Gothamist: Reading Libeskind

Bri

Fri, 19 Dec 2003 21:42:41 -0500

So Child's is Silverstein's architect, but how in the world did he get control over the freedom tower? The new design is a monstrosity. I realize that Silverstein has the lease, but what legal ground did he have to gain say over the design of the site? There needs to be a website detailing all the events.

Howard

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 17:28:36 -0500

So if Danny Boy is burning a hole in his slide rule designing the new WTC, how can he possibly afford to spend the time writing his memoirs? Hasn't there been enough self-promotion by now?

Jen

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 13:52:25 -0500

I do believe you! It just too confusing to keep straight and keep in my tiny brain when there are so many episodes of Law & Order to keep track of! Wah! But thank you.

Felix

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 13:35:50 -0500

OK, you don't believe me? Let's go to the New York Post article you link to: " Under the accord, Silverstein's architect, David Childs, will become the 'design architect and project manager' for the world's tallest building." Nothing there about the WTC redesign; nothing about "redesign architect". Just to get this 100% clear: Libeskind is in charge of the WTC redesign. Childs is in charge of the Freedom Tower. Calatrava is in charge of the PATH station. Other architects, including Norman Foster, will be in charge of other buildings on the site. The winner of the memorial design competition will be in charge of, well, the memorial design -- which will necessarily involve a certain amount of changes to the current Libeskind plans for where buildings will be massed, etc. But there's only one person who's involved in and overseeing EVERYTHING -- and that's Libeskind.

Felix

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 13:16:37 -0500

No, David Childs is not the main WTC redesign architect. Daniel Libeskind is the main WTC redesign architect. David Childs has nothing to do with the WTC redesign: his ONLY contribution at the moment is as lead architect on the Freedom Tower. (7WTC is not part of the WTC redesign, weirdly enough.) No one ever expected that one architect would build all of the new towers and buildings on the site. You might as well say that Santiago Calatrava is the main WTC redesign architect, because he's building the big new PATH station which will be right there at the crossroads of Fulton and Greenwich in the middle of the whole scheme. There is someone in charge of the redesign in toto, however, and it's Libeskind. Admittedly, this Childs thing is a common misperception: I saw a very aggressive woman from the Daily Express ask Libeskind repeatedly whether he was disappointed that he's no longer the lead architect on the redesign, and I was impressed by Libeskind's diplomacy when he answered her.