NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[NYguy]

Hopes are dashed for WTC Morse code light

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hopes_are_dashed_for_wtc_morse_code_yansKFKmzzmB179SxrDV4O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business



Well, let's see what else can be changed before the building is complete...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/143352062/original.jpg


Also lost in all the talk about the fiberglass panels needing a "replacement", the original sculptural design was for an "open" enclosure for the antenna. You won't hear Durst talk about that though, because they'll have to admit, it's simply a cost issue.


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141925554/original.jpg


NY Post

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/91172572/original.jpg

[MolsonExport]

Where is TalB when we need him? :D

[pnapp1]

Hopes are dashed for WTC Morse code light

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hopes_are_dashed_for_wtc_morse_code_yansKFKmzzmB179SxrDV4O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business

I just read that in the paper this morning. If it means the beacon is brighter and has a greater reach I'm all for it.

[O-tacular]

I just read that in the paper this morning. If it means the beacon is brighter and has a greater reach I'm all for it.

Yes, because all this new inferior toothpick 'design' needs is a brighter light to illuminate it better for all the world to see. I must admit however, that I am surprised that Durst is even splurging on fancy LED lights or any lights at all for that matter. You'd think with his attitude that lighting is too high maintenance and expensive.

[meh_cd]

NY Guy! You found the high res version of that original antenna enclosure! I was going to bring that up myself but I couldn't find that picture. Thanks for posting that! As you said, I'd like to see Durst explain how that would be an issue. It allows access to the radio equipment without the removal of any panels, and it gives a nice little architectural flourish. If someone forwards anything to Childs they should send him that, but I'm sure he's already thought of it himself.

Yes, because all this new inferior toothpick 'design' needs is a brighter light to illuminate it better for all the world to see. I must admit however, that I am surprised that Durst is even splurging on fancy LED lights or any lights at all for that matter. You'd think with his attitude that lighting is too high maintenance and expensive.

Well, he does light up 4 Times Square's antenna pretty well at night. Alternating colored LEDs and everything. I'll give him that, but he won't get any more respect out of me.

[O-tacular]

Well, let's see what else can be changed before the building is complete...



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141925554/original.jpg

Holy shit how are they not using this?!!!

[JPKneworleans]

Holy shit how are they not using this?!!!

Because Durst and the PA are cheap!

[pnapp1]

Yes, because all this new inferior toothpick 'design' needs is a brighter light to illuminate it better for all the world to see.

The beacon is not responsible for lighting the mast. It simply projects outward.

[O-tacular]

Because Durst and the PA are cheap!

Of course they are. The media should challenge them on this and show the old rendering. I bet you they'd have another convenient excuse. I guess since the skeleton of the radome is already built they're just going to use that instead. I wonder how much it would cost to do something like the original open concept?

[O-tacular]

The beacon is not responsible for lighting the mast. It simply projects outward.

Perhaps all we can hope for then is for the beacon's glare to obscure the antenna a bit.

[Zapatan]

Holy shit how are they not using this?!!!

The spire is already built, they just (hopefully) need to come up with something else to cover it.

[CarlosV]

as of right now... :tup: cranes are higher and a new row of glass :)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/7210606040_ca554e0991_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7210606040/)
DSC_0479 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7210606040/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

[NYC GUY]

Just a question, since they built the antenna already could they put that open spire that nyguy posted over Durst's antenna?

[CarlosV]

below is a photo taken by my buddy Anthony from NJ which works right there on the construction site!!!!

photo is from today 5/16/12 at 3:06 pm

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7211083928_e00400584f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7211083928/)
photo (16) copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7211083928/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

[sw5710]

as of right now... :tup: cranes are higher and a new row of glass :)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/7210606040_ca554e0991_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7210606040/)
DSC_0479 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7210606040/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

Carlos: You have the best most detailed pictures of the top :cheers:
The 102nd floor observation area is filling out fast. The splices are at 1,297' part of floor 103. Not including the lower entrance another 6'

[chris123678]

Just a question, since they built the antenna already could they put that open spire that nyguy posted over Durst's antenna?

That seems like an excellent idea.

[marshall]

Great to see actual construction pictures again! Cool to think that in a few months, people will be coming from all over to visit the observation deck where those top splices are now! Me included. :cool:

[eseninobrandon]

Yes, I do have the video & here it is. I was watching it live on my computer. Glad I got it, but there is a glitch in it. I am sorry, but I had nothing to do with the glitch. -Greg (IntoTheLens827). Hope you enjoy it. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8f9dq9v_s0
#Stressed: you took down the video

[Zapatan]

Horrible, just horrible, hopefully something will be done because I will never grow to be not-disgusted by this.

The communications rings are gone too, what the hell is going on?


http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2237_0076_120503_rgb.jpg

[hunser]

http://observer.com/2012/05/16/wtc/

Get to the Point: If Anyone Can Save 1 WTC’s Symbolic Spire, It Is the Dursts—They Snuck Onto the Skyline Before

The fate of the World Trade Center, having been debated and arbitrated by every constituency in town, now rests with a panel of architects and engineers in Chicago. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the international arbiter of skyscrapers the world over. All skyscrapers are not created equal, and it is up to the Council to decide exactly how tall they all are.

The problem at 1 World Trade Center, as has been raging across front pages all week, is that the Durst Organization, the august real estate family and minority partner in the city’s newly christened tallest structure, has convinced the Port Authority to forgo a radome, a white fiberglass sheath that was to have encased the 408-foot mast atop the 1,368-foot tower. The mast takes the tower from the symbolic height of the original towers to the perhaps too symbolic height of 1,776 feet, first envisioned by Daniel Libeskind a decade ago.

The problem is that the council does not recognize antennae, flagpoles, signage or other superfluous structures as contributing to the height of the building. That is why the Willis Tower, 1,451 feet, ranks eighth tallest in the world, even though two broadcasting arrays bring its total height to 1,729 feet, the second tallest in the world behind the Burj Khalifa.

This seems absolutely backwards—why encourage “spires,” useless poles with a glimmer of design intent, while forgoing actual, functional structures like antenna and signage. Whatever happened to form follows function?

“It’s a practical concern,” Kevin Brass, public affairs manager for the council, said. “What is to stop someone from just adding on a taller and taller antenna?”

Indeed, the council was created in 1969 to settle such disputes. They have been raging since skyscrapers were rising, when 40 Wall Street, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State all tussled for pride of place on the skyline. Indeed, the Empire State is the 10th tallest building in the world if it’s 204-foot antenna is included. Staring out at the city from across either river, visually, this is the height one registers, not the 1,250 feet where the original structure tops out.

“Is it part of the design, or is it a pole on top of the building? That is the question, and we don’t know the answer to it yet,” , Mr. Brass said of 1 World Trade Center. It is a question, then, of architectural intent. And the problem is that the architect of 1 World Trade Center, David Childs, is none too happy about the decision.

“Eliminating this integral part of the building’s design and leaving an exposed antenna and equipment is unfortunate,” he said in a widely disseminated statement. “We stand ready to work with the Port on an alternate design.”

The Port, and the Dursts, are less eager to do so. A spokesman for the developer, Jordan Barowitz, said that fabrication of the spire—they insist it is a spire, an architecturally integral piece of the design, and one that was indeed designed by Mr. Childs’ firm, SOM, albeit no longer clad in its fancy suit—is already underway, imperiling any additional design tweaks.

“It’s not really at risk for us, we’re building the building, we have to build it, whether the council says so, that’s the council’s business,” a World Trade Center source said.

SOM is holding out hope that the Port might persuade the developer, who took a management stake in the building in 2010 for $100 million, to add some sort of design flourish. It has had to compromise on the base of the tower, after all, after serious fabrication issues. (It bears noting that that was seen as a diminishment, as well.) But the mast must be installed this summer to keep the building on schedule, which does not leave much time for a solution to be designed, fabricated and installed.

Port Authority chief Pat Foye does not seem eager to implement a change, either. “What was designed was impractical, unworkable and quite frankly dangerous to workers who would have to be called in to maintain it, and that’s not something we nor Durst could abide,” he told reporters after a conference on Friday.

The Dursts insist it was not the $20 million cost of the radome that killed it but the maintenance scheme, which was complex, expensive and possibly even dangerous, involving the hoisting of one-ton replacement pieces into place. SOM was given eight months to come up with a more satisfactory scheme but could not.

Still, if anyone could convince the council the tower is indeed as tall as the developers say it is, it is the Dursts. For years they were toiling away on the impressive if not especially tall One Bryant Park, standing a hail 945 feet. Atop it stood what could only be described as a white toothpick, pushing the height of the building to 1,200-feet, and supplanting the Chrysler Building as New York’s second tallest.

It was a move as brash as the one undertaken by Walter Chrysler to surpass 40 Wall Street, when he deployed a hidden 60-foot spire within the dome of the Art Deco dandy, during the original skyscraper race. No matter—it was surpassed within a year by the Empire State Building. Just as 1 World Trade Center someday will be.

http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2237_0076_120503_rgb.jpg

[Zapatan]

I'm losing hope,

I love how they would not compromise with the site plan to build tower 2 higher than tower 1 but they will to make things worse.

I really wish to see the people behind the WTC development jailed for their stupidity and treason, they are horrible.

[SearsTower]

If they have to replace the spire with an antenna, it should at least be a decent looking antenna, like the one on the old north tower. Just my thoughts

[CarlosV]

Great to see actual construction pictures again! Cool to think that in a few months, people will be coming from all over to visit the observation deck where those top splices are now! Me included. :cool:

YES! i will be the first on line to get tickets! :yes:

this is most exciting! we all can be there in a year or so!!!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7212204950_3814aab94f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7212204950/)
DSC_0484 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7212204950/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8021/7212226148_143a5611ba_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7212226148/)
DSC_0482 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7212226148/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

[chris123678]

Now that I see it up close, it looks more like a very slim, no design spire.

But has anybody noticed how ugly the communications ring is?

Why did they scrap that?

[Matt]

This building is no longer worth following. For over a decade, New York was given the promise of having the nation's tallest building once again - and now the rug has been ripped from underneath us. For what reason? Simply because Durst does not want to find a way to include the antenna in the building's height using some architectural element?

Please... Durst should be jailed, for treason to the country. As much as I hate FOX News, they would certainly rally the conservatives to rage over this issue. "NO longer 1,776 feet tall? Oh this is symbolic for our baseless jingoism, we need to stop this". Perhaps the only thing I would ever agree with on them...

Despite being NY's tallest building, it will live in the New York skyline as a reminder of something that could have been more. It will live on in the skyline like this for centuries, an embarrassment to the great achievements that were promised but never came... how we got cheap and betrayed our own memorial to September 11, 2001...

[Matthew]

Two World Trade Center is my favorite and it's the building I wish was designed as the tallest. I'm not a big fan of adding "toothpicks" to the roof for extra height. It's still interesting to follow construction on this building and I think it will look great when it's completed, with or without a covering on the antenna. I guess the boxy 432 Park Avenue will become New York's tallest, since the spire is no longer a spire? This is a good time to add a few more floors to Two World Trade Center, to gain the title. :D

[Zapatan]

They should make tower 2 1776 feet :rolleyes:


I would also love to hear how the spire is "dangerous"

[Smellymundelly]

Can't wait to have this view again. Just wish they would make it outside! little guy in yellow is me:cool:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/78638578@N02/7204661354/in/photostream/

[Roadcruiser1]

Two World Trade Center is my favorite and it's the building I wish was designed as the tallest. I'm not a big fan of adding "toothpicks" to the roof for extra height. It's still interesting to follow construction on this building and I think it will look great when it's completed, with or without a covering on the antenna. I guess the boxy 432 Park Avenue will become New York's tallest, since the spire is no longer a spire? This is a good time to add a few more floors to Two World Trade Center, to gain the title. :D

They should make tower 2 1776 feet :rolleyes:


I would also love to hear how the spire is "dangerous"

That is not going to happen. Two World Trade Center was designed to be part of the complex to be a spiral. Two World Trade Center will not go higher to not ruin the design of the new complex. It's not going to happen. The tallest tower doesn't have to be at the World Trade Center. There are plenty of places in New York for that. Even if the original World Trade Center was standing it would have been defeated later on too. There were taller buildings proposed that would have defeated the Twin Towers.

[marshall]

The spire/antenna thing is becoming rendundant now..I didn't like the decision either, but there's nothing we can do about it so we just have to accept it. One World Trade Center will be a great building for New York and the skyline, and a big attraction. It is basically a replacement of one of the Twin Towers because it is the exact same roof height. So basically we are picking up where we left off before 9/11. If they had wanted to avoid the spire/antenna controversy they could have just made its roof height 1776 feet or whatever. But that didn't happen, the building will be 1368/1374 feet and thats pretty much that.

Like Roadcruiser said, where is it written in stone that the tallest building in New York has to be at the World Trade Center? Soon 432 Park will be taller by roof height than 1WTC anyway. One World Trade Center will be a big focal point and fill a big void in the skyline, and reclaim the height of the Twin Towers. Lastly, if you think about it historically, since 1WTC will be the SAME height as the old Twin Towers, (which were indeed the tallest in the world briefly in the early 70s) you can basically say that 1WTC was the tallest in the world too at one point, since it's height is the same as the Twins..The World Trade Center is not the only supertall game in town anymore however, which is a good thing for the skyline. :cool:

[Matthew]

We've seen design changes in the past and are talking about one now. I doubt a height increase at tower two would happen, but it's an interesting compromise to bring the nation's tallest title to NYC. I doubt it would happen, due to the impact on line of sight broadcasting from Tower One's antenna.

Seeing new buildings over 1,000 feet (roof) is rare in this country. Something over 1,300 feet is extremely rare! Developers look for a good return on their investment over height. Projects designed to reach heights like this are rare. Tower One or 432 Park could hold the city's tallest title for decades. I love the design of Tower Two more and would like to see it as the tallest, but that is just my opinion. As I said earlier and marshall also said, Tower One will still look great. I don't think any antenna design changes will change that. :)

[NYC GUY]

The spire/antenna thing is becoming rendundant now..I didn't like the decision either, but there's nothing we can do about it so we just have to accept it. One World Trade Center will be a great building for New York and the skyline, and a big attraction. It is basically a replacement of one of the Twin Towers because it is the exact same roof height. So basically we are picking up where we left off before 9/11. If they had wanted to avoid the spire/antenna controversy they could have just made its roof height 1776 feet or whatever. But that didn't happen, the building will be 1368/1374 feet and thats pretty much that.

Like Roadcruiser said, where is it written in stone that the tallest building in New York has to be at the World Trade Center? Soon 432 Park will be taller by roof height than 1WTC anyway. One World Trade Center will be a big focal point and fill a big void in the skyline, and reclaim the height of the Twin Towers. Lastly, if you think about it historically, since 1WTC will be the SAME height as the old Twin Towers, (which were indeed the tallest in the world briefly in the early 70s) you can basically say that 1WTC was the tallest in the world too at one point, since it's height is the same as the Twins..The World Trade Center is not the only supertall game in town anymore however, which is a good thing for the skyline. :cool:

But they could they at least make the spire look nice. The PA has been telling us 1776' feet 1776' feet 1776' feet ''Tallest in America'', Tallest in the Western Hemisphere'', since the design came out and to change the height at the last minute is just embarrasing. But I still really like 1WTC .

[NYC=WTC]

Does anyone know when the tenants can move in and when the observation deck will officially open on 1wtc?

[Zapatan]

That is not going to happen. Two World Trade Center was designed to be part of the complex to be a spiral.

The complex was also designed to have a 1776 foot building, and we all see how that worked out.

Two World Trade Center will not go higher to not ruin the design of the new complex

I think 1WTC's lack of spire has already done that... in fact I think a taller 2WTC would look fine. The problem is that the foundation has already been laid, who knows if they can fluctuate a few floors.

Obviously this won't happen or probably won't considering they're already having enough trouble finding tenants.

[Zapatan]

It is basically a replacement of one of the Twin Towers because it is the exact same roof height. So basically we are picking up where we left off before 9/11.
:cool:


except there were two of the twin towers, they were also wide all the way to the top.

It's an amazing building by itself, but for what it's replacing it falls a bit short, but in the end I'll settle for it. And at this point I would prefer nothing go on the roof instead of that god awful antenna. I know it's redundant to hear complaints about the spire loss, but NYC's skyline is kind of ruined, that's a big deal.

[Zapatan]

Seeing new buildings over 1,000 feet (roof) is rare in this country. Something over 1,300 feet is extremely rare! Developers look for a good return on their investment over height. Projects designed to reach heights like this are rare. Tower One or 432 Park could hold the city's tallest title for decades. I love the design of Tower Two more and would like to see it as the tallest, but that is just my opinion. As I said earlier and marshall also said, Tower One will still look great. I don't think any antenna design changes will change that. :)

New buildings over 1000 feet are rare if not non existent in just about every country minus China and the maybe the UAE. The US will see more than most of the world this decade, so we should be thankful for that. There are already proposals in NY that could possibly top both Tower 1 and 432, so I wouldn't say they'll be the tallest for too long.

PS. sorry for three posts, I just realized that.

[Roadcruiser1]

Does anyone know when the tenants can move in and when the observation deck will officially open on 1wtc?

Mid-Late 2013.

[Duck From NY]

The complex was also designed to have a 1776 foot building, and we all see how that worked out.
-
Exactly! And to top it all off (excuse the pun), they were obviously planning to gut the spire a while ago. The scoundrels!

This is why I will no longer pay any attention to any news about any part of any structure on the site until it's under-construction. From now on I'll just enjoy the construction photos.

[WTCman7301]

Mid-Late 2013.

I thought it was mid-2014.

[Jonboy1983]

Man, allowing Durst to have ANY stake in this building was a huge mistake! They should have told him to go take a flying leap into the Hudson River, but alas, hindsight is 20/20...

[Roadcruiser1]

I thought it was mid-2014.

I was talking about the tenants. The observation deck will open in 2014.

Also ignoring the whole mast/antenna fiasco Danny Meyer the owner of Shake Shack is trying to win the bid to operate the observation deck in One World Trade Center. He is planning to open a Shake Shack in the observation deck of One World Trade Center if he wins. Shake Shack is also known by most people to make the best hamburgers in the US so it will be a welcome addition to make up for the loss of the restaurant if he wins. Review of Shake Shack. http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/05/in-n-out-vs-five-guys-vs-shake-shack-the-first-bi-coastal-side-by-side-taste-test.html

Article:

Danny Meyer Submits Bid for WTC Observation Deck

Tuesday, May 8, 2012, by Greg Morabito

Is New York getting a Shake Shack in the sky? The Times reports that seven companies have placed bids for the observation deck at 1 World Trade Center, including Danny Meyer. Food service titan Aramark is also interested, and so is Legends Hospitality, the company that runs the food at Yankee Stadium. The operators of the Empire State Building and Eiffel Tower observation decks have also placed bids.

Now it's up to the Durst Organization, which owns 1 WTC with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to decide who should operate the tallest snack bar in New York City. And hopefully they'll pick Danny Meyer, because he's an upstanding operator and the man loves a challenge. Also, it would be awesome to eat a Shack Burger while looking down at a helicopter.

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/05/danny_meyer_submits_bid_for_wtc_observation_tower.php

I sure hope he wins. It really would make up for the loss of that restaurant.

[The Jerk]

We've seen design changes in the past and are talking about one now. I doubt a height increase at tower two would happen, but it's an interesting compromise to bring the nation's tallest title to NYC. I doubt it would happen, due to the impact on line of sight broadcasting from Tower One's antenna.

Seeing new buildings over 1,000 feet (roof) is rare in this country. Something over 1,300 feet is extremely rare! Developers look for a good return on their investment over height. Projects designed to reach heights like this are rare. Tower One or 432 Park could hold the city's tallest title for decades. I love the design of Tower Two more and would like to see it as the tallest, but that is just my opinion. As I said earlier and marshall also said, Tower One will still look great. I don't think any antenna design changes will change that. :)

Matthew, I like what you've written. I agree in sort (assuming you're from Asheville as per your avatar). But this is a point of absolute money over country, passion and aesthetics. For Durst to value-engineer the spire at this point is simply despicable. Doug will go down as one of NYC's villains. Odd because he champions himself quite otherwise;

http://www.durst.org/about/executive_team.php?name=douglas-durst

[NYC GUY]

Honestly what idiot gave Durst so much say in this project?

[The Jerk]

Doug Durst- Please make the spire correct, it is your legacy!

[The Jerk]

Jonathan (jody) durst - president

kristoffer durst - senior vice president, director of information technology

alexander durst - co-vice president

helena durst - co-vice president

@durst.org

why it's .org is beyond me.

[The Jerk]

Make the change, or be ridiculed forever.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141925554/original.jpg

[chris123678]

http://i.imgur.com/tuQTJ.jpg

Seen this on skyscrapercity forum. The antenna ruins the entire complex

[Zapatan]

Seen this on skyscrapercity forum. The antenna ruins the entire complex


Yes, yes it does. One could argue, that being the higest structure, it ruins New York.

However, in the new WTC's defense, that is a very old and poor rendering, we should let STR do a better one.

[Plokoon11]

Wow lets look at the bright side. When Godzilla comes, and King Kong crashes the island. Godzilla can use WTC1 as a stabbing weapon.

[Yankee fan for life]

:previous:
The antenna ruins because you use that horrible render of 1 wtc in dusk with the bronze affect and superimpose it in to your pic ,i don't think that is a fair representation of how the antenna will really look like.

[NYguy]

^ If it helps, there's always this:

http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen-shot-2012-05-16-at-11-27-43-am.png?w=600&h=532
www.observer.com




NY Guy! You found the high res version of that original antenna enclosure! I was going to bring that up myself but I couldn't find that picture.
Thanks for posting that! As you said, I'd like to see Durst explain how that would be an issue. It allows access to the radio equipment without the removal of any panels,
and it gives a nice little architectural flourish.

Someone would still have to pay for it to get built, and we're in the new age of "no thrills" building from the Port Authority - just don't tell them that about the PATH terminal.



I wonder how much it would cost to do something like the original open concept?

Only the mast for the antenna is being built.



The spire/antenna thing is becoming rendundant now..

Get used to it, because with the building near to topping out, the spire issue is just now coming into focus, both literally and figuratively.


Dance of the spires...

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/91204051/large.jpghttp://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/137361302/large.jpg




mudpig (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yukonblizzard/7210421738/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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drocpsu (http://www.flickr.com/photos/drocpsu/7207551326/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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the_lone_shooter (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_lone_shooter/7210628390/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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Geoffrey Sorensen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffreysorensen/7210360410/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7210360410_570d33a320_h.jpg

[Zapatan]

It's hard to look at those pictures of the old spires and think what NYC could have been like.

Wow lets look at the bright side. When Godzilla comes, and King Kong crashes the island. Godzilla can use WTC1 as a stabbing weapon.

The old spire would have actually made for a far better weapon, sharper and less flimsy

[Yo Na]

Has Durst backed up his claim that the spires outer skin seen in original design will be too expensive and difficult to repair and maintain? Has he presented any factual numbers?

Has anyone from a different position with credible knowlegde of the spires design back him up or dispute that claim?

Im curious how much money we are dealing with here...

[The Jerk]

IMO, Bloomberg, with his tens of billions net worth, and all he'll make from being the Mayor after he leaves office, should make this right. If it's a question of dollars, Mike just do it.

Mike, you need to leave a legacy. Step up.

Michael Bloomberg- Restore our skyline!

[nickguar]

http://i.imgur.com/tuQTJ.jpg

Seen this on skyscrapercity forum. The antenna ruins the entire complex

I think we all should exhale a bit here. Yes, the original spire is better than the antenna. But let's put it into context. The fact of the matter is this: this site was NEVER going to be as "good" as it was before 9/11, simply because of the fact that 9/11 happened and nobody can reverse that. If we had rebuilt the Twin Towers--my personal preference (though a noticeably different design)--people would have said it was like looking at a ghost. If we built nothing, people would have said we never rebuilt.

So this is what we did. We rebuilt, but not exactly as grand as we could have. And it took way too long. It's not perfect, but it's something. I think the failures of the rebuilding of the WTC are symbolic of the hyper-bureaucratic country we've become in the last decade, where the right hand never knows what the left hand is doing. The fact that they're still debating designs this late in the game is simply surreal. I sympathize with you on all of these points.

But we all, I think, should take a step back and place less emotional emphasis on this specific site. I know that's easier said than done. More buildings--better buildings, taller buildings than this--will be built in NYC, Midtown and Downtown, in the ensuing decades. We shouldn't hope that the WTC complex will be the signature of the NYC skyline for long; not because we don't like the design, but because we ought to hope for more.

My two cents.

[The Jerk]

Open Letter to Doug Durst and Mike Bloomberg;

Millions of us in the city watched the towers burn and collapse. We weeped and picked up the pieces. We payed for and were promised a restored skyline. Now you want to deny it? For what, a few million dollars? You are millionaires and billionaires, we are the people who suffered. This is WTC 1. To allow it to be so cheaply finished is a pox on your house, something you will pass on to your children and your children's children. It will forever stand as a testament to your selfishness. Make it right.

Build the lattice, we don't need the panels, but at least have the dignity to build the lattice.

[NYguy]

I think we all should exhale a bit here. Yes, the original spire is better than the antenna. But let's put it into context.
The fact of the matter is this: this site was NEVER going to be as "good" as it was

Well, whether I agree with that or not, it's besides the point. We're discussing this tower, this spire, this change, that's all. There's no trying to rationalize it, it's a change. Pure and simple.
Some people may actually prefer the new version. Most people, myself included, seem to hate it. Whether it's acceptible or not is also besides the point. I think most people are upset
because not only was it an unexpected change, but the reasoning behind it is up in the air, although we all know it was a cost issue. What it comes down to is asking yourself if this
newer version is an improvement. If you don't think so, of course you won't be happy with it, and no amount of explanation would make you so.



xnir (http://www.flickr.com/photos/xnir/7162633130/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7162633130_0c2163512c_h.jpg

[599GTO]

\
http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2237_0076_120503_rgb.jpg

This just looks nasty.

Ugh.

[The Jerk]

Open letter to;

Christine Quinn-You want to be our next Mayor, step up on this issue! We want the World Trade Center to be finished properly. Doug Durst has decided that money is more important than building what we were promised and have paid for in blood and tears. Christine, tell Doug we at least expect lattice on the spire.

Christine's # (212) 788-7210

http://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/141925554/original.jpg

[The Jerk]

Christine's # (212) 788-7210

Call and leave a message over and over.;)

[TBone7281]

Christine's # (212) 788-7210

Call and leave a message over and over.;)

Yes, harassment is definitely the best way to get your point across.

[Tectonic]

Can't they use a simple white enclosure at least, like the ones on the Willis Tower. You can see they tried to 'clean' those up as best as possible.

http://www.emporis.com/images/show/772594-Medium.jpg

[NYguy]

hey_im_dan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyimdan/7213706912/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7213706912_81bb3f85a7_b.jpg



deshaunicus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deshaunicus/7207379800/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5159/7207379800_81705d9162_h.jpg

[CoolCzech]

This just looks nasty.

Ugh.

Remember how the whole point of the public design competition, that took years and years, was to ensure that what was created was not motivated merely by greed?

JEEBUS CHRIST ON A POGO STICK :hell:

[Roadcruiser1]

The whole World Trade Center site is now a tragedy. The entire project is just one big mess, and the site will be too. First of all the security measures that will be placed will be insane. That already will push away the street life since cars will not be able to drive into the site much leaving the streets empty. Pedestrians walking around the site and working the building will be monitored 24/7 which is just terrible. I mean you can always place security measures, but that is just way too much security to be considered normal. The second change that went wrong is the restaurant. What do you mean it's going to be unprofitable? I rather eat in a restaurant up in the sky than anywhere else. The third change is the base. Even though it might look more like the Twin Towers former base after looking at farther pictures it does not fit in with the design at all. It's completely covered in concrete for security measures which I also deem parnoid and stupid resulting in a loss of useable floor space. The third and final change is the mast which is now stripped to nothing but bare bones. I mean what the hell? This site is a complete mess, and someone has to come and clean it up and talk the Port Authority and Durst straight one more time. This is the World Trade Center. It's not the World Security Center, not the World Ugly Center, it is the WORLD TRADE CENTER! Get it right Durst and Port Authority or don't get involved and let the people do it.

Sincerely,
Someone who has been pushed beyond his anger limit.

[CarlosV]

perfect day in Gotham.... :cool:



http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5035/7216171156_5ddcafa7dc_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7216171156/)
DSC_0490 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7216171156/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

[chris123678]

The whole World Trade Center site is now a tragedy. The entire project is just one big mess, and the site will be too. First of all the security measures that will be placed will be insane. That already will push away the street life since cars will not be able to drive into the site much leaving the streets empty. Pedestrians walking around the site and working the building will be monitored 24/7 which is just terrible. I mean you can always place security measures, but that is just way too much security to be considered normal. The second change that went wrong is the restaurant. What do you mean it's going to be unprofitable? I rather eat in a restaurant up in the sky than anywhere else. The third change is the base. Even though it might look more like the Twin Towers former base after looking at farther pictures it does not fit in with the design at all. It's completely covered in concrete for security measures which I also deem parnoid and stupid resulting in a loss of useable floor space. The third and final change is the mast which is now stripped to nothing but bare bones. I mean what the hell? This site is a complete mess, and someone has to come and clean it up and talk the Port Authority and Durst straight one more time. This is the World Trade Center. It's not the World Security Center, not the World Ugly Center, it is the WORLD TRADE CENTER! Get it right Durst and Port Authority or don't get involved and let the people do it.

Sincerely,
Someone who has been pushed beyond his anger limit.. The base glass was scrapped because the prism weren't safe if the shattered off the base.

[Cataclaw]

The whole World Trade Center site is now a tragedy. The entire project is just one big mess, and the site will be too. First of all the security measures that will be placed will be insane. That already will push away the street life since cars will not be able to drive into the site much leaving the streets empty. Pedestrians walking around the site and working the building will be monitored 24/7 which is just terrible. I mean you can always place security measures, but that is just way too much security to be considered normal. The second change that went wrong is the restaurant. What do you mean it's going to be unprofitable? I rather eat in a restaurant up in the sky than anywhere else. The third change is the base. Even though it might look more like the Twin Towers former base after looking at farther pictures it does not fit in with the design at all. It's completely covered in concrete for security measures which I also deem parnoid and stupid resulting in a loss of useable floor space. The third and final change is the mast which is now stripped to nothing but bare bones. I mean what the hell? This site is a complete mess, and someone has to come and clean it up and talk the Port Authority and Durst straight one more time. This is the World Trade Center. It's not the World Security Center, not the World Ugly Center, it is the WORLD TRADE CENTER! Get it right Durst and Port Authority or don't get involved and let the people do it.

Sincerely,
Someone who has been pushed beyond his anger limit.

I lurk this thread daily but seldom post. Time to post. I think you're overreacting.

1. Reducing/restricting automobiles is a good thing that will make life safer and easier for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users (who will make up 98% of the volume anyway). Urban planners (and other experts who have been studying transportation for decades) are increasingly moving cities around the world away from automobile dependency for a reason! Fewer cars is a good thing. It will improve street life, not the other way around!

2. The level of site security and pedestrian surveillance : we're not there yet. The site isn't even open/finished yet. When everything is said and done, if there is oppressive airport-like security, then we'll talk. I strongly doubt we'll get to anywhere near what you're proposing.

3. The spire is indeed a loss, I won't argue with that, but I think the spire issue should be kept in perspective. From an urban perspective, what matters most in any development is the street level. What happens 100 floors in the sky is of little importance to quality of life. Again, I like the spire and I hope they make it, but if we're discussing urban planning and quality of the street-level environment, the spire is irrelevant.

4. The base of WTC 1 is concrete and results in a loss of floor space? Really? In the grand scheme of the overall floor space of the whole site, we're talking what, 1%? If that? Given what occurred a decade ago on the site, a sturdy base is a sensible consideration. As for how it looks, can we please wait until everything is 100% finished before bashing it?

I think the WTC site, overall, is a well-designed urban space. It's pedestrian oriented, it features transit prominently, it has great public spaces, etc. As for the buildings themselves, they will be landmarks in New York for generations to come. :)

[Totojuice]

Horrible, just horrible, hopefully something will be done because I will never grow to be not-disgusted by this.

The communications rings are gone too, what the hell is going on?


http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2237_0076_120503_rgb.jpg

Looks like the sword from a bad 80's sci-fi flick.

[Totojuice]

...But we all, I think, should take a step back and place less emotional emphasis on this specific site.

Sorry Nick, but for those of us who were there it's impossible to separate emotion from this site. It means that much. And that's why you're seeing such a visceral reaction from most people on this board.

[nickguar]

Sorry Nick, but for those of us who were there it's impossible to separate emotion from this site. It means that much. And that's why you're seeing such a visceral reaction from most people on this board.

I understand. I'm in NJ, right across the river. So the attack felt like it was against me personally, not just as an American but as an extended New Yorker. My point was simply, they have already disappointed us and have failed to meet the expectations of most of us, so let's just take the site for what it is. It's a disappointment, yes, but it was always bound to be a disappointment given what happened there. At least we will have four very large (and mostly gorgeous) towers in Downtown Manhattan again.

But I do not for a minute think this site will become the symbol of the skyline for as long as the ESB or original WTC were. Things will surpass it.

[StrongIsland]

They might as well leave it a superblock if all the streets are going to be contained, it will probably happen anyway. Durst will probably come up with an excuse to not have streets run across the site, theres your safety from cars!

[hunser]

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/05/17/the-post-american-skyscraper/

The Post-American Skyscraper

Posted by Daniel Greenfield Bio ↓ on May 17th, 2012


In the days and weeks after September 11 hardly a day would go by without another homemade design for the World Trade Center showing up in my inbox. Some were crude, some were obscene, some were impossible to construct and some were genuinely visionary. Even those most familiar with the crusted workings of New York state and city government, not to mention the bi-state beast of the Port Authority, could hardly have imagined that eleven years later one far smaller tower would still be under construction.

One World Trade Center, formerly the Freedom Tower before that name was deemed too showy and patriotic, is a faintly shiny presence on the skyline, glass slowly sliding over stories of naked steel, overshadowed by Frank Gehry’s strikingly surreal Beekman Tower with its rippling lines. If you didn’t know what you were looking at, you would hardly notice it was there.

Now One World Trade Center will lose a radome enclosure due to budget cuts, which means very little except that the building’s ridiculous 400 foot spire risks being classified as an antenna and OWTC will no longer be recognized as the tallest building in the country. The death of the radome is one of the many redesigns to the building that have made it the forgettable structure that it is today. And the difference in those 400 feet is the difference between a 1,368 foot skyscraper and a 1,776 foot skyscraper.

Having lost the Freedom Tower designation, losing the symbolic 1,776 height seems almost an afterthought. The 1,776 number was an artifact of Daniel Libeskind, the original architect, and his vision for the site. That vision was mostly discarded, along with its “sky gardens” and windmills. The “1,776″ height is about all that remains of the German-Jewish architect’s proposal. And regardless of whether we count the antenna as a spire or not, it will not be the tallest building in the world. Those can be found in the places that funded the terrorists, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which have used slave labor to build glass and steel pyramids to the glory of their own pharaohs.

The Empire State Building, the Grande Dame of New York skyscrapers, has a roof height of around a 100 feet or 30 meters lower. The difference between a skyscraper built during the Great Depression and one built during the 21st Century Depression is around 100 feet and about a century of aesthetics. Where the spire of the Empire State Building is an organic extension of it, the one atop OWTC is awkwardly placed, it’s just there making time and filling up the space.

In its defense, One World Trade Center is graceful enough compared to the Sears Tower or the Dubai Burj, which pile blocks and needles together in a cluster of alien geometry. It will be better looking than the New York Times Building and the Bank of America Tower, which both have that made- by-IKEA look. It will also be completely unremarkable and that is a feature, not a bug.

Its blandness of name and design convey that it is an apolitical structure. Its only ambition is to embody a post-American bigness made possible by a large antenna. Its unexceptional nature is an antidote to the American exceptionalism sparked after the September 11 massacre. Much like welcoming in a mosque near Ground Zero or incorporating Islamic elements into the Flight 93 Memorial, it says that there is nothing especially American here.

One World Trade Center will need to fill all that office space, and many international renters may do business in America, but they don’t like us very much. And ever since September 11, American political and business leaders have tried to be as inoffensive as possible, to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes with our jingoism and our flags so that next time we don’t get bombed.

The former Freedom Tower will be a properly post-American building. It will be big, but not too big. It will be smaller than the towers put up by our enemies so that they will have no reason to feel jealous. It will not stand for anything in particular. It will just be office space, like the city and the country, a place that people can come to do business without making any commitment to it.

“A skyscraper rises above its predecessors, restoring the spiritual peak of the city, creating an icon that speaks to our vitality in the face of danger and our optimism in the aftermath of tragedy,” Libeskind had said of his design. One World Trade Center cannot be accused of doing any of that. There is no spiritual peak, not even the one at the top of its no-longer-1,776-foot height.

The rapid construction of the Empire State Building in a year’s time during the Great Depression made a statement about the ability of a nation to do great things even in its darkest hour. The slow pace, the perpetual redesigns and the bland final product of One World Trade Center make the opposite statement. A reminder that inept and timid leadership can rob a nation of its exceptionalism.

In 1910 the eleven tallest buildings in the world were in New York City. Now the city doesn’t even make it into the top eleven and barely makes it into the top twenty. And the majority of today’s top eleven buildings went up after the World Trade Center was destroyed. When One World Trade Center is completed, and, if its antenna is counted as part of its height, it will qualify as the third-tallest building in the world, until the latest monstrosities in Shanghai and Dubai topple it off that list.

A building is not a nation, but there are certain parallels to the diminution of national ambition, and there are undeniable parallels between the stumbling makeshift design process of One World Trade Center and the fumbling War on Terror. A great work can be done in a short time if you know what it is you want to accomplish. The blueprints for the Empire State Building were drawn up in two weeks and the structure was completed in a year. One World Trade Center has suffered from revisions and redesigns because it never had a clear purpose. Most people agreed that something had to go up, but they no longer knew why except that it was empty space and empty space has to be filled.

It’s not a tower of freedom, because freedom implies too much individual agency. It has opportunities for those who pursue them hard enough. It does not however have a future. Only the eternal present of buildings that, for all their futurism, are hardly any taller than they were a hundred years ago.

Futures arise from national destinies. A nation unmoored from its past has nowhere to go. It cannot make anything new, because there are no new things. Its horizons are limited to its geometry, it experiments with shapes and colors, it digs through the trash of earlier eras for things it can use, reviving trends, dumpster diving through history while feeling that other eras were more exciting and more interesting than this.

The Post-American America is a place unsure of its identity, whose new conceptions of American values all too often serve only to negate the old, creating an empty space in which nothing is forbidden and everyone is welcome, but that has no structure, only emptiness.

[Zapatan]

That was an amazing , all too painfully true, article

[uaarkson]

That article is hilariously bad. Those damn turrists in Dubai, building monuments to their pharaohs! Heathens!

Meanwhile, New York is entering its most significant skyscraper boom ever, and this guy wants to bitch about the death of American exceptionalism. What a tool.

[photoLith]

Personally I find one 57 and 432 park avenue to be much more awesome than One World Trade. That new antenna looks like something you would see in some Russian city from the 60s.

[nergie]

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/05/17/the-post-american-skyscraper/

The Post-American Skyscraper

Posted by Daniel Greenfield Bio ↓ on May 17th, 2012


Seriously comparing the Sears Tower to a ready made IKEA furniture kit. Just because it's not in NYC doesn't mean it is not a great design. Seriously :hell:

[rjb001]

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/05/17/the-post-american-skyscraper/

The Post-American Skyscraper

Posted by Daniel Greenfield Bio ↓ on May 17th, 2012

That article seems incredibly narrow-minded, highly opinionated, and not so much fact-based. It is a bummer that the new antenna may not count in the building's official height, but that doesn't make any other building that is built taller a "monstrosity" by any means. The buildings going up in Shanghai and Dubai are actually very visually pleasing like One WTC.

And as for the claim that America's desire to build tall has diminished, look at how many of the ten tallest are done by SOM, an American company. The fact that Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower, and One WTC are all done by an American company that continues to push the boundaries of height and design, completely debunks the claim that American innovation is lacking simply because the world's tallest buildings aren't just built in America anymore.

[NYC GUY]

Why can't they at least compromise on putting some sort of enclosure on the spire to make it 1776' feet and look good. I'm hoping that they can compromise on something good.

[10023]

Danny Meyer Submits Bid for WTC Observation Deck

You know Durst won't pick him. Some inedible shit like Aramark or Sysco will be cheaper and he will go with that.

[CoolCzech]

You know Durst won't pick him. Some inedible shit like Aramark or Sysco will be cheaper and he will go with that.

You think Durst will have the inside of the observation deck painted, or will that be too expensive for him?

I hate to say it, but I've pretty much given up interest in the WTC project.

[sw5710]

perfect day in Gotham.... :cool:



http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5035/7216171156_5ddcafa7dc_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7216171156/)
DSC_0490 copy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceva321/7216171156/) by Ceva321 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ceva321/), on Flickr

The cocoon is starting to jump and the steel is up to 1,297'

[babybackribs2314]

From today & full update!

http://newyorkyimby.blogspot.com/2012/05/construction-update-one-world-trade_17.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HlIpK5UIUJo/T7Vc8CXd96I/AAAAAAAABPI/_W7QrUXStNs/s640/2012-05-17+15.53.40.jpg

[Trinity2112]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d26/WorkingAtPerfekt/douglas_durst_prick.jpg

[RockMont]

I've said, metaphorically that, one thing the spire would be good for, aside from its obvious purpose, would be to skewer bin laden with it. Now that, the son-of-a-bitch is dead, they should have used his dead body as an example, that if anybody tries anything funny, such as another attack, they will be skewered alive.

[O-tacular]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d26/WorkingAtPerfekt/douglas_durst_prick.jpg

Slow clap. That is awesome! :haha::cheers:

[Yankee fan for life]

There is still a slither of hope marshall that an alternative design will be made but, in my opinion i think we have to come to a realization that this design might be the final product, but i still have hope that a solution will be found,hey even when 1 wtc is top out and the antenna is installed it is still going to be a year and a half until 1 wtc is occupied so anything could happen .

[Totojuice]

YES YES YES!!!!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d26/WorkingAtPerfekt/douglas_durst_prick.jpg

yay!!!

[jd3189]

I'm still waiting for Childs' response to this travesty, but while researching stuff today,I thought about the cladding of "Spaceship Earth" in Epcot.

Here's what it's made of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alucobond

Could this be the cheap alternative to the original spire?

[Pinion]

As a casual observer I am finding this recent negative hyperbole very bizarre. The site isn't close to ruined by any decisions about the spire. And 1776 is a very weird number to obsess about considering it wasn't the British who knocked down the towers (even if it was, it'd still be weird).

[QUEENSNYMAN]

FROM: NYBOY75

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp4fTwtdVjU&list=UUhtU7A62TdyRVQm8CsdVwBw&index=1&feature=plcp

[Davidsam52]

The cocoon is starting to jump and the steel is up to 1,297'

Awesome! So close to topping out now!

[chris123678]

http://i.imgur.com/E6fbA.jpg





Seen this again on skyscraper city, all credits to the user net222.

But what's going on? Base glass coming soon?

[NewYorkDominates]

Cacoon has been completely raised!Thanks to Queensman

[Zapatan]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d26/WorkingAtPerfekt/douglas_durst_prick.jpg

Nice! Did you make that or is that actually the cover of an article?



I'm still waiting for Childs' response to this travesty

His response has been posted several times in this threa, he's "very dissapointed" and wants to work with the PA on an "alternative design" although the PA seems less willing.

I too have not lost 100% of hope, I'm glad the public outcry is big, however, I just don't see Durst caring about his reputation or what anyone else thinks.

[jd3189]

:previous: I know. I meant I'm waiting for his new idea of the spire to fit the demands of Durst. Honestly, I would like those bastards to leave this project if they are just going to make it a piece of crap.

[Zapatan]

:previous: I know. I meant I'm waiting for his new idea of the spire to fit the demands of Durst. Honestly, I would like those bastards to leave this project if they are just going to make it a piece of crap.


My mistake,

I don't see why they don't just cover it in thin, cheap, plastic like material or even just cables that can light up at night.

Why does everyone in power have to be stupid?

[TouchTheSky13]

Nice! Did you make that or is that actually the cover of an article?





His response has been posted several times in this threa, he's "very dissapointed" and wants to work with the PA on an "alternative design" although the PA seems less willing.

I too have not lost 100% of hope, I'm glad the public outcry is big, however, I just don't see Durst caring about his reputation or what anyone else thinks.


To be honest guys, my biggest problem with the redesign isn't the loss of the radome (although I'm plenty disappointed by that) - It is the color, and the apparently vacant communications ring. Why in the world would you put a rust-colored thin needle on top of a sleek and modern tower? That just doesn't make any sense to me. Furthermore, the communications ring was supposed to hold tv antennas, spokes, receivers, and a window-washing track. Now it looks empty. Wtf? Is that the best they could do?:koko:

I think the new design is unforunate and really banal and I much prefer Child's design. Durst is more concerned about making profits, rather than completing this building the right way. His argument that the spire would be impossible to maintain and poses danger to workers is complete and utter bullshit. :hell: I'm still holding out that Childs will keep his word and negotiate with with Durst to see that some sort of of new radome or thin covering could be added so that the look of the building isn't ruined.

But if there is anyone who can convince the Council on Tall Buildings to count the structure atop 1WTC as an architectural spire, it's Douglass Durst. I mean this guy was able to convince them that the needle on top of BofA Tower was an architectural spire simply by creating a lighting scheme for it. This raised the building's height from 945ft to 1200ft. Maybe he can pull something like that off again.

In any case, I feel as though the spire design, as well as the building overall for that matter, has gotten progressively worse over time. I actually liked the first spire design from 2005. There were more cables then, too, which made the building's roof seem taller. It has been painful to watch this beautiful building become so boring looking. The attitude that the PA and Durst Inc. have shown toward this structure and the site itself is selfish and disgraceful and it is further proof that big money capitalists will always have the final say in this country. But I guess what we have right now is better than nothing. At least we are still able to say that (for now). :(

[chris123678]

Rumors on skyscrapercity that base glass has been installed but covered by the black netting.

ANY confirmation?

[1Boston]

Now that i think of it, durst saying they aren't going to get rid of the spire and just have the antennae show is basically like saying the base cladding is too difficult and too dangerous to repair, so were just going to leave it as it is right now. Truthfully, i still won't accept that there won't be a spire until i actually see it up there as just the antennae. I feel like theres no way that Durst can get away with this, but i know i can be wrong.