NEW YORK | Decision to market Freedom Tower as 1 WTC

[Matt]

Originally Posted by NewYorque

Sears tower's name should not have been changed. Even if it doesn't belong to Sears anymore, it was built, and occupied by Sears for a long period. That toer would not have existed without Sears.

The Chrysler building is an example of something more rational: Chrysler doesn't occupy the building since many decades but it was so much linked with Chrysler that the name survived.

That means that, if someday 1WTC is entirely bought by a company (named XXXXX), it will be renamed the XXXXX Tower ??

I think "One World Trade Center" is a perfect name for the tower. Obviously it establishes the building as the official replacement for the original complex, but the name "World Trade Center" still echoes throughout the world. At the end of the day, lower Manhattan is not an architectural museum to amuse skyscraper enthusiasts like us; it is a true and functioning business location where a significant cog of the global financial system is actively being turned.

I would absolutely object to the notion of a novelty name, i.e. London. "Let's Call the Tower Something Cool Just for the Sake of Being Cool... Tower". Makes no sense and it tries too hard, IMO.

I believe the name "Freedom Tower" will be a novelty, an asterisk mark in many historical documentaries that will no doubt cover the 9/11 story for generations to come. It will eventually be relegated to outdated postcards, magnets, and cheap models of the building you can pick up next to the Statue of Liberty souvenirs at LaGuardia. The name One World Trade Center is here to stay.

You made an interesting observation about the Chrysler Building and its iconic name. Did you also know the Chrysler Building is the tallest tower of any kind in the United States *without* FAA aircraft obstruction lights? Cool factoid.