Freedom Tower Work Ramps Up

Work finally seems to be underway on one of the most anticipated skyscrapers in the world, the main replacement for the World Trade Centres in New York.The project called the Freedom Tower is 1776 feet tall, or 543.3 metres, the height as historians will know has been set by the date of the American declaration of independence. In another reference to the past the parapet wall is 1368 feet tall, exactly the same height as the previous WTC towers were.The scheme was originally designed by Daniel Libeskind but differences between him and the developer, Silverstein Properties caused him to be succeeded by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill who modified the design whilst retaining many of their predecessors elements.The main change was to the spire with SOM dropping the lattice-work that Libeskind had designed for a more traditional one that sits in the middle of the tower making it simpler as well as more profitable. The spire will be a huge light projector that will pump a beam of bright light into the sky making the tower even more of a landmark. The finished design bares more than a passing resemblance of the previous WTC, a huge monolithic modern block with vertically patterned curtain walling and simple cladding. The main difference comes from the twisting shape and slight tapering as it rises whilst retaining the formality that the original towers had.They also strengthened the first 80 metres of the building with added titanium to help it withstand a truck bomb at ground level after fears were raised that the Libeskind plans were not bomb-proof enough. Safety conscious of the flaws in the previous design, including a central core being taken out which stopped people evacuating the building, the architects have designed minor service shafts to go on each corner of the building meaning you would literally have to destroy all four corners plus the centre of the tower to stop anyone escaping a disaster. That would of course completely destroy the tower, but it means that except in a catastrophic event of instant destruction people would get out of the still standing but badly damaged skyscraper so there can be no repeat of the previous disaster. Adding to the complexity and delay of the scheme isn't just the scale of the tower but the memorial that is planned at ground level - obviously its hard to set the foundations for a super-tall tower if you haven't decided precisely what is going next to it.Designed by Ron Arad this will feature waterfalls marking the edges of the original twin towers in the middle of a memorial gardens. The insides of these waterfalls will be hollow creating space that onlookers can gaze up from at the new tower.The first beams were laid on site on the 27th of April 2006 but it has taken until the start of August for work proper to really start with preparation works past that symbolic start. Meanwhile in Acelor Mill, Luxemburg, the main i beams weighing between 11 and 20 tons each are running off the production line for erection early in 2007 as the central supports of the project foundation.It seems that after many false starts and design changes this time something will be going ahead and that something will be the SOM design. Completion is scheduled for 2011 and the site should be opened some time in 2012. Does anyone want to place a bet it doesn't happen on the 4th of July to a backdrop of fireworks, and Mariah Carey types singing the Star Spangled Banner?