I started with a larger post about each of the suggested designs for the new World Trade Center. I ditched that for a more general overview. Blogger ate that (note to self: talk to Boggie about moving to Moveable Type when I get back). So, my basic three statements about the plans.

1. I don't know if I'm crazy about building another really tall building. It's like the people who live on the Cape that rebuild their houses on the shore line after their old house falls into the sea due to coastal erosion. Nice to get back on the horse and all, but obstinancy has its down side, too. I suppose I'm OK with tall, but the 2100 foot tower that one of the proposals has seems a little much.

2. What's with all the bends and angles and crap? I suppose it's the thing now to create highly non-linear buildings, but in some cases the resulting design looks like something Frank Gehry drew to pay a bar tab. I tend to favor the more conservative plans. Boggie had mentioned being in favor of the one with the "kissing" towers, and I suppose if you have to go with something po-mo (or are we on po-po-mo?) this plan would be the least objectionable. I won't even go into the problems I have with THINK's World Cultural Center.

3. The general plans for memorials and public space are good, but I'm a little leery of the "sky gardens" and other crap on the top of towers. THINK has a "sky park" that's on top of some lower buildings, which seems fine, but I don't know if we need hanging plants at 1200 feet or whatever. I also tend to like the plans that leave the old building footprints open.

From looking at the designs, I'd actually like to take parts I like best from 2 or 3 of them to make one plan, but the resulting architectural goulash would be unsightly at best. I suppose that's why I'm not an architect. That and the can't draw thing.