Village Voice article on my favorite of the new proposed designs for the World Trade Center area. The THINK team's design allows for a construct that's actually taller than the original, yet isn't actually office space.



Its elegant latticework provides a haunting reminder of where the Trade Centers once were. It even incorporates beams of light like the popular, but short-lived Towers of Light did. New buildings would actually be constructed inside this latticework, as would an observation deck at the same height as the original one, and a memorial could be constructed high up in the sky where the planes actually hit. Best of all, this design is actually for a World Cultural Center instead of another World Trade Center. What a fitting way to replace these buildings originally devoted to commerce and show the world that the United States isn't just about the almighty dollar after all.

"The mission of reconstructing the skyline is one that is proposed at a cultural level," said architect Rafael Viñoly, who unveiled the design. "Should we reconstruct it with the offices of Merrill Lynch? We don't think so. The need is a cultural need. Almost in the same way, the Eiffel Tower became the symbol of Paris, and it is an empty building. This is an empty building."

I find this design to be the most aesthetically and philosophically compelling of all those submitted to date.