[vandelay]

The current plan is fine. The way I see it, there was simply no chance that anything great would come out of the process, between the politicians, the architects, the public, and the 9/11 families.

I wish the original Childs 1WTC (let's stop calling it the Freedom Tower, another artifact of the sad political state at the time) was built, but the current 1WTC at least pays homage to the original towers. A problem with the current plan is the problem with 'starchitecture,' particularly the Rogers and Foster towers are very individualistic and meant to stand out, they don't integrate well together. There is no dialogue between the towers, just clashing. Which is why the Maki building looks better and better to me as time goes by, it suits the site and follows the lead of 1WTC.

That said, the Libeskind master plan was awful, thank goodness he was pushed aside. Who can we thank? Silverstein? Imagine a deconstructivist WTC, a constant reminder of the shambles and wreckage of 9/11 full of jutting sharp edges and nothing that says "This is New York." The twin towers may have been architecturally poor, but they were reassuring giants, visual anchors, but almost elegant and serene. The current 1WTC may have that same effect.

Of course I wouldn't mind if they rebuilt the Singer Building and a mini old Penn Station for the transit hub on Ground Zero. That's atonement.