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December 20, 2003
The Baton, Mr. Muschamp
The wonderful thing about being a modern Westerner is the fluidity of thought and the interoperability of knowledge representation. Despite the tension between modernity and organicism, I find it lovely to not have to do everything, think everything and do everything before I can represent everything. What better expression of this than the blogosphere itself? Although I tend to take my own inspirations for most of the blogwriting (more than average, I'd say) this place would be half itself without biting a bit of the flow of other blogging MCs.
Every once in a while someone comes along with words that so completely express your opinion that you can just detach that element of your thinking world and install a permanent pointer. Well, a strong one at any rate.
Once upon a time, I was the Boohab. And I have passed those duties on to Aaron McGruder. For the architectural homonculus in my head, the pointer goes to Herbert Muschamp, the critic for the NYT. Dig these paragraphs:
The building's strongest feature is the adaptability of its structural system to different site conditions. That is why it makes no sense to parse the design for signs of which architect won this or lost that. The design we see, in its entirety, takes its cue from Mr. Libeskind's incomplete master plan. The building's irregular contours are precisely determined by the size, shape and location specified by that plan. If these specifications were to be changed, so would the architectural expression. I'd call that win-win so far.The second major strength is the balance that the design almost achieves between delicacy and toughness. The glass skin and the cable structure create an ethereal quality that one might have thought impossible, given the prospect of fortress architecture that rose up in the aftermath of 9/11. Yet the rigor of the structure is tough, exactly as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower are tough. Freedom Tower's structure is derived from bridge design, like that of the Eiffel Tower. The span connects heaven and earth.
He's nailed my thinking on the new WTC. So make sure you read him if not me.
Posted by mbowen at December 20, 2003 10:52 PM
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� Blogburst over New WTC from Symphony X
Last Updated 19:07:53 Eastern Standard Time To keep up, check This Feedster Link Felix Salmon spent a good deal of time looking at the proposed design model, and for anyone following the discussion, a very good read. Stefan Geens reply... [Read More]
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Posted by: Stirling Newberry at December 21, 2003 04:16 PM