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Forget Saddam in his underwear (people, this is like seeing your uncle absent-mindedly walk around the house without his pants, only if your uncle is a murderer and despot), the truly awesome photograph that the NY Post has today is this shot of Governor Pataki and polarizing international architect Daniel Libeskind getting cozy. Photographer Josh Williams captured the moment, to which the Post writes, "What will Libby Pataki and Nina Libeskind say when they see their husbands locked in this loving embrace?" Libeskind and Pataki were together, along with other World Trade Center poobahs, to see the unveiling of the Cultural Center designs for Ground Zero. While pols say the design is "respectful," some victims families think the design is too close to the WTC Memorial. Regardless, all involved emphasized that the design met security standards.
NY Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff is impressed, writing, "The building, by the Norwegian firm Snohetta, is strangely seductive: with some fine-tuning, it could even become a fascinating work." More information, including a slide show, from Lower Manhattan.
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Excerpt by David Shuster of MSNBC, February 17, 2005:
September 26, 2002 was also the day that the Pataki controlled Lower Manhattan Development Corporation quietly narrowed down more than 400 entries in the WTC replacement "design contest" to seven semi-finalists. One of the semi finalists was a close friend of the Lauder family, an architect named Daniel Libeskind.
Did Governor Pataki, in exchange for the Lauder campaign contributions, pressure the LMDC to select a design by Lauder friend Daniel Libeskind?
Governor Pataki's office refused to comment and directed me to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. A spokesperson for the LMDC called the theories "bizarre" and said, "we went through an unprecedented worldwide selection process. Stories that suggest anything to the contrary are absurd." Regarding the engineering challenges, the LMDC spokesperson said, "we are working through the process."
None the less, several of my contacts and colleagues in New York say they still don't like the "smell" coming from the proposed Freedom Tower.
[Note: the *entire* first comment is actually supposed to be the blockquote by David Shuster of MSNBC]
The Post and Jen Chung are really geniuses at these sort of photos. Yesterday, Jen had the shocking photo of the red shirted gentleman next to don trump's twin towers and today we get the cloying Libeskind casting his Rasputin-like spell on Pataki. Libeskind's design represents Libeskind's ego and Libeskind's ego only. The horrifying part is they still plan on building this monstrosity:
"'Right now, there's no reason to believe that any part of the master plan that Daniel Libeskind put out will not be built,' Pataki said."
Everyone else in nyc is clamouring for the Gaudi designed building.
Liebeskind looks like that bad guy from The Incredibles.
And Bob, the only crowd of voices clamoring for model rocket ship that is the Gaudi design are the ones in your head. Please stop speaking for all of NYC... and getting it wrong.
o.k. Tim - everyone except don trump, Tim N. and the gentleman in the red shirt. I like the looks of the new cultural center design, but am a bit confused as to it's function. I also like the sunken footprint design and the idea that Gehry is designing the performing arts building. The santiago caltavara transport center is delightful. The 'freedom tower' design has to go though.
The guy in the red shirt?! Low blow, dude!
Actually, I only count you and Cookie on the Gaudi team. (I'll let Jen speak for herself.) But whatever. I actually agree with everything else you've said. And whether it's replacement towers or rocket ships, one thing is true... the Freedom Tower is a failure and a disgrace. It doesn't have to go... the people *behind* it have to go!
Wouldn't it be great if Spitzer and/or Ferrer and/or Giff Miller came out and said, If I'm elected the Freedom Tower, Larry Silverstein, Daniel Liebeskind are all out.
They'd win in a heartbeat.