Freedom Tower

[Travis]

It should be noted the new tower has a completely different structure. It was built on the strongest skyscraper foundation ever constructed and has a super reinforced core that goes all the way up.

Because of all this over engineering no one really expects it to be profitable. But my suspicion is that it will be.

Go here for a live HD webcam of the entire site.

 

[PS13]

Some may find this cool... Back in 90, Depeche Mode released a promo video for 'Enjoy The Silence'. It's different than the official music video. They filmed it on top of the WTC... I think it was Tower 2, but I could be mistaken on that. Could you get on the roof of both? Never been there. Anyway, cool video, great song, phenomenal band.

 

[Travis]

To me the most interesting aspect right now is the transit hub. It's got some of the most complicated steel work I've ever seen and they're building it on top of an existing station without closing down that station.

 

[Bell]

Some may find this cool... Back in 90, Depeche Mode released a promo video for 'Enjoy The Silence'. It's different than the official music video. They filmed it on top of the WTC... I think it was Tower 2, but I could be mistaken on that. Could you get on the roof of both? Never been there. Anyway, cool video, great song, phenomenal band.

That is indeed WTC2. WTC1 had no observation deck.

 

[A Laughing Baby]

I live in NYC. I liked the look of the twin towers.

I thought the name "Freedom Tower" was a bad name. The original towers were not attacked as symbols of American freedom. Naming the new structure by giving it's address is fine with me. But I thought the name change was due to "not wanting to offend Chinese investors".

When building designs were being discussed I think the most appropriate was the 5 buildings configured like this:

l l l l l​

It resembles a hand "giving the finger".

Cool joke. Now tell one about Vince Foster. It'll be equally timely and hilarious, I promise. Make sure to explain the punchline, too!

 

[Weak Kitten]

Oh, I'm so glad they changed the name. "Freedom Tower" sounded stupid and hokey...and really isn't very descriptive. I'm sure that within a year of the building being opened people will go back to calling it WTC again when talking about where to meet or catch a train.

 

[Almo]

Why don't they just rebuild the World Trade Center? I thought the whole point of the project was to show the terrorists that they couldn't change our way of life.

The White House was almost completely burned down in the War of 1812, and they just rebuilt it and continued the American traditions. The same seems appropriate here.

I agree. Though when I say that, my wife says, "but they were so ugly!"

 

[USEagle13]

Why don't they just rebuild the World Trade Center? I thought the whole point of the project was to show the terrorists that they couldn't change our way of life.

*Looks @ current TSA child molestation practices* Looks to me like they did "change" our way of life. In almost every way imaginable. Trust me brothers there is more "change" and "hope" to come!

Or was that "hope" and "change?" I always get the two mixed up

The White House was almost completely burned down in the War of 1812, and they just rebuilt it and continued the American traditions. The same seems appropriate here.

The owner of the WTCs was losing money on his properties and looking for "an easy way out" of his failing investment in fairly peaceful times (domestically). So unless some other billionaire wants to "risk it all" in an age of economic/ cyber/ political/ national/ fundamental/ and home-grown terrorism then there will never ever be another WTC style center for free market in the US.

I heard Dubai will prolly be the next "WTC style" center of world trade.

Also they are trying to rebuild the ancient city of Babylon in Iraq right now.

 

[hgc]

The owner of the WTCs was losing money on his properties and looking for "an easy way out" of his failing investment in fairly peaceful times (domestically).

New lease was signed 2 months before 9/11. The owner, the Port Authority of NY/NJ, had been leasing out the site to private management since the mid-70's.

So unless some other billionaire wants to "risk it all" in an age of economic/ cyber/ political/ national/ fundamental/ and home-grown terrorism then there will never ever be another WTC style center for free market in the US.

I heard Dubai will prolly be the next "WTC style" center of world trade

It was just a couple office buildings. There was never a special connection between the WTC and some sort of "center for free market in the US" that is now gone. Where do you get your information?

 

[triforcharity]

Surely it would be a bad idea to rebuild the original WTC, since the building design proved to be quite vulnerable to that particular type of terrorist attack. A new design which is rather more airline-proof is called for, I would think.

I would agree. Most of the codes for fire protection have changed drastically since 9/11. Even though, it would still be better than using strictly steel.

 

[triforcharity]

Weren't they just very ugly?

Yes, many people of NYC thought of them as plain, and boring. (Watch the History Channels' "Rise and fall of the Twin Towers". But, once they were built, and had been around for a while, most came to like them. Some even depended on them being there to seem normal. Ask some of the people who lived in the area. They used to see those towers every single day. After 9/11, they felt almost empty.