Fortress Tower
June 30, 2005 6:22 AM Subscribe
A Tower of Impregnability An appraisal of the new, New Freedom Tower design. The darkness at ground zero just got a little darker...
This post was deleted for the following reason: double
This New York times article is a nice counter point to all the "yes yes yes yes" type feedback which has been aired on all these abortionsdesigns thus far... who ever thought the original wtc could seem so good...
posted by nervousfritz at 6:30 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by nervousfritz at 6:30 AM on June 30, 2005
The advertised and emphasised "fortified base" bugs me to no end. Empasizing materials and celebrating them with a building's design sometimes results in great architecture. This is not one of those moments.
posted by tomplus2 at 6:34 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by tomplus2 at 6:34 AM on June 30, 2005
Impregnable Bunker of Freedom
posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:10 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:10 AM on June 30, 2005
It really looks like the punchlike to a 1980s joke.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 7:15 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by The Jesse Helms at 7:15 AM on June 30, 2005
I like the photo of the old white dudes pointing at the model.
How do little kids grow up to be these type of people who make stupid decisions? I just don't get it. I'd rage on about this but my head hurts. How do you grow up as a kid wanting to do things, not be tied down, to making drug policies and seeing terrorists everywhere? WHY MAN WHY?!
posted by evilelvis at 7:43 AM on June 30, 2005
How do little kids grow up to be these type of people who make stupid decisions? I just don't get it. I'd rage on about this but my head hurts. How do you grow up as a kid wanting to do things, not be tied down, to making drug policies and seeing terrorists everywhere? WHY MAN WHY?!
posted by evilelvis at 7:43 AM on June 30, 2005
Freedom Fortress - designed by the prestigious firm of Tom, Dick and Harry.
Poor David Childs. His claim to fame in architecture will be something he, no doubt, loathes to his very core. It's an awful design that demonstrates American fear rather than freedom - but I suppose it's consistent with the post 9/11 milieu.
posted by j.p. Hung at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2005
Poor David Childs. His claim to fame in architecture will be something he, no doubt, loathes to his very core. It's an awful design that demonstrates American fear rather than freedom - but I suppose it's consistent with the post 9/11 milieu.
posted by j.p. Hung at 8:16 AM on June 30, 2005
2 cents/
Why not build a huge (yes, expensive) 120 story tower that completely engulf the two original footprints, and deep inside the building leave two hollows where the towers were? People looking through inner windows at the huge space will get an excellent perspective on how big they were, and people walking on the floor "above" the hollows would have plexiglass panels in the floor to look down through.
Memorials at ground level in each space would be protected from rain and weather.
Admittedly, due to it's sheer bulk and width the thing would look Bladerunneresque from the outside, but it would be distinctive without the airy-fairy flimsiness of most current designs.
/2 cents
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:24 AM on June 30, 2005
Why not build a huge (yes, expensive) 120 story tower that completely engulf the two original footprints, and deep inside the building leave two hollows where the towers were? People looking through inner windows at the huge space will get an excellent perspective on how big they were, and people walking on the floor "above" the hollows would have plexiglass panels in the floor to look down through.
Memorials at ground level in each space would be protected from rain and weather.
Admittedly, due to it's sheer bulk and width the thing would look Bladerunneresque from the outside, but it would be distinctive without the airy-fairy flimsiness of most current designs.
/2 cents
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:24 AM on June 30, 2005
You guys are totally missing the point. When that thing is built, NYC will be able to spawn Shock Troopers and Nuclear Cavalry at twice normal rate - and it will let us max out the Grim Justice tech tree. We're so totally going to win now!
posted by freebird at 8:28 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by freebird at 8:28 AM on June 30, 2005
We're so totally going to win now
Yeah, so long as Osama doesn't take out NYC with a Zergling rush :)
posted by unreason at 8:33 AM on June 30, 2005
Yeah, so long as Osama doesn't take out NYC with a Zergling rush :)
posted by unreason at 8:33 AM on June 30, 2005
One thing is fixed, by eternal law arranged; Nothing which comes to be remains unchanged.
--Boethius Consolation of Philosophy.
posted by stbalbach at 8:35 AM on June 30, 2005
--Boethius Consolation of Philosophy.
posted by stbalbach at 8:35 AM on June 30, 2005
freebird wins.
As long as they're going this far, why don't they make it really menacing and overbearing. We have the chance here to construct of battle steel and concrete an edifice with which to hold the entire world in thrall! No half measures, I say!
posted by Kikkoman at 8:39 AM on June 30, 2005
As long as they're going this far, why don't they make it really menacing and overbearing. We have the chance here to construct of battle steel and concrete an edifice with which to hold the entire world in thrall! No half measures, I say!
posted by Kikkoman at 8:39 AM on June 30, 2005
Wow. How intensely ugly, with absolutely no generosity to the public realm. I thought that this sort of bizarre, unfriendly design was on its way out in American city planning, consigned to the dustbin of history (and rightfully so).
This is pretty much definitely going to be built, right? What a shame.
posted by deafmute at 8:42 AM on June 30, 2005
This is pretty much definitely going to be built, right? What a shame.
posted by deafmute at 8:42 AM on June 30, 2005
They should just go hogwild and use one of Anton Furst designs from Batman.
posted by keswick at 8:44 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by keswick at 8:44 AM on June 30, 2005
Ah yes, nothing says "freedom" and "democracy" like a good old-fashioned tower of impregnability. Too bad the label "Barad-dûr" has already been taken. Might as well decorate it with the world's largest bullseye, while you're at it.
(That sound you hear is the buzz of over 2,800 victims spinning in their graves.)
posted by Mike D at 9:30 AM on June 30, 2005
(That sound you hear is the buzz of over 2,800 victims spinning in their graves.)
posted by Mike D at 9:30 AM on June 30, 2005
I think it should be called the Ziggurat -- assuming it is actually a weapon and the US also plans to build a female robot to command it.
posted by chunking express at 9:39 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by chunking express at 9:39 AM on June 30, 2005
CynicalKnight: cool concept.
posted by sonofsamiam at 9:43 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by sonofsamiam at 9:43 AM on June 30, 2005
Why is it called the "Freedom" tower? What in the hell does freedom have to do with terrorists driving airplanes into the World Trade Center towers?
I propose: The We're Still Here You Bastards Tower.
posted by eustacescrubb at 9:46 AM on June 30, 2005
I propose: The We're Still Here You Bastards Tower.
posted by eustacescrubb at 9:46 AM on June 30, 2005
The important thing is, if somebody flies a couple planes into this baby, the pointless giant concrete base will be just fine.
posted by designbot at 9:47 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by designbot at 9:47 AM on June 30, 2005
Wouldn't it be just as safe from car bombs if they just, you know, prevented cars from driving up next to the building?
posted by designbot at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by designbot at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2005
HEY MAN, WHEN WE CAN'T DRIVE WHEREEVER THE FUCK WE WANT TO, THE TERRORISTS HAVE WON.
posted by stenseng at 9:52 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by stenseng at 9:52 AM on June 30, 2005
From the article:
The toothpicklike spire was added so that the tower would reach its required height of 1,776 feet.
Wow, that scores a 9.3 on the Harris Stupidity Scale.
posted by JHarris at 10:08 AM on June 30, 2005
The toothpicklike spire was added so that the tower would reach its required height of 1,776 feet.
Wow, that scores a 9.3 on the Harris Stupidity Scale.
posted by JHarris at 10:08 AM on June 30, 2005
I don't dislike the way it looks.
I do dislike the stupid nonsensical security features. I do dislike that they've decided "Hey, they blew up a large and visible target! Let's build another large and visible target!".
America really needs a good healthy dose of humility.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:10 AM on June 30, 2005
I do dislike the stupid nonsensical security features. I do dislike that they've decided "Hey, they blew up a large and visible target! Let's build another large and visible target!".
America really needs a good healthy dose of humility.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:10 AM on June 30, 2005
Why is 1776 feet the required height?
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:11 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:11 AM on June 30, 2005
Declaration of Independence.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:18 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:18 AM on June 30, 2005
Rename it Super Defiant Freedom One. Then stock it with Valkyries.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:45 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:45 AM on June 30, 2005
Wow. The Freedom Tower. Nice to see Freedom locked up nice and tight in an impenetrable box.
It's like they're not even pretending anymore.
posted by evilangela at 11:47 AM on June 30, 2005
It's like they're not even pretending anymore.
posted by evilangela at 11:47 AM on June 30, 2005
Dang, that is ugly. They should have hired Hasbro or Mattel to design it like one of the GI Joe mobile fortresses.
posted by fenriq at 11:58 AM on June 30, 2005
posted by fenriq at 11:58 AM on June 30, 2005
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posted by R. Mutt at 6:24 AM on June 30, 2005