Note : For 2001 the project was quickly changed to "What to do
with the former site of the World Trade Center in New York" as a public
service because of the unique virtual reality visualization for the public
and speed that this particular event offers. No building design was required,
but all designers were asked to investigate the myriad of possibilities,
and a memorial was expected. Though the 2001 Design Challenge is over and
the winner already determined, we will still accept and post designers
ideas for the Trade Center site as an ongoing public service. See
Discussion area.
Winner of the 2001 Designers 3D CAD Challenge
for the World Trade Center Site
Jonathan S. Foster, AIA and Jensen Vasil
nyArchitrect.com, 41 Union Square, Studio 716, New York, NY 10003
The three important issues addressed in this design are the memorial,
the creation of an urban pedestrian experience, and the iconic quality
of a center for world trade. This proposal encourages the regeneration
of the urban fabric, making connections to the west, the World Financial
Center, Battery Park City, and the ferry connections, to the north, Tribecca,
to the east, Wall street, the Seaport and the Municipal center and the
businesses and terminals to the south.
The three acre Memorial Park will be available all year
long, and enriched by the change of seasons as well as the visitors. Set
in an urban forest of trees, the 400 foot running stream is lined by the
5000 names of the victims who died at the World Trade Center September
11th.
The buildings, laid out on a pedestrian street grid, enclose a
large 80,000 sq.ft. glass enclosed yard, similar to a train station in
London or Paris, (or the original Pennsylvania Station) which provides
a retail, restaurant, and transportation function. The Path trains, subway
trains, as well as the LIRR (from Washington station Brooklyn), which provides
the rail access to Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports, would be accessible
from this Transportation Terminal, as well as the Ferries, via underground
moving sidewalks.
This 24 hr, 7 day a week urban condition is enhanced by the pedestrian
amenities, such as retail, large and small, restaurants and food establishments,
light filled indoor courtyards, exterior park, a 2000,000 sf Cultural Center,
as well as a 600 room hotel.
The Residential mini-towers, providing 400 family units,
rings the south side of the complex, and has views to the river and into
the courtyard as well as constructed under the BPC guidelines for Urban
Housing, providing a sustainable construction and a healthy building.
The office buildings provide four plates from 50,000 sf
down to less than a half acre, allowing a variety of corporate uses. The
three towers, each with many 20,000 sf floors, provide for global
corporations to have a viable presence, including headquarters, hub office
or even a complete firm, in the New York financial district. With the need
to decentralize, as well as the availability of the technology which enables
productive decentralization, these plates are ideal for the modern entrepreneurial
global corporation.
These buildings, which are designed to provide efficient day lighting,
abundant fresh air and economical conditioning, accessible power and data
chases, which allow for easy and economical office reorganization, will
provide for sustainable and economical service and maintenance. The design
of the floor plate creates a dynamic World Class environment, with magnificent
views from all floors, and high prestige, allowing for the rental role
required to provide and maintain a building in this neighborhood of lower
Manhattan.
