ULI In the News -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 10/5/2001
Last Visited: 2/13/2003
Paul J. Donnelly, a professor of architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, said duplicating the World Trade Center towers would be a mistake.
"It would be Disneyesque at best," he said."To me it would be something trivial and absurd."
Donnelly and many observers have said it would be wrong to solely use the site as a memorial.A living memorial could be achieved, he said, by designing a building with a new theme.
"The World Trade Center (towers) became highly iconographic symbols of American capitalism, wealth and power, but that context has changed dramatically," Donnelly said.
"Anything new there should talk about the more recent past and recognize the tragic events at that site."
He suggested a design that would not only honor the dead but also salute the heroism, solidarity and patriotism of all the Americans who have rallied to aid the city.
"We have an opportunity not only to talk about America's economic system but other aspects of American society," he said."We can communicate to the world icons that are more holistic in terms of American society and culture."
Not everyone agrees that something must be built on the World Trade Center site.
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As for what happens next, Donnelly said New Yorkers should have the initial say.
"This was a violation of the fabric of the city as a whole," he said."The courthouse in Oklahoma was different.It was a federal facility.
"This is a public neighborhood, and New Yorkers should have a voice in how it is recognized.Perhaps through an international design competition."
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Donnelly described the destruction of the World Trade Center as an "aberration."
"To build defensively is a huge mistake.To say we can't do vertical buildings because they're attacked by airplanes is a defensive strategy.We don't want to compromise the quality of our lives."