Group releases design review guidelines

Real Estate Weekly, Dec 18, 2002

New York New Visions, a coalition of 21 architecture, engineering and planning organizations, announced criteria for evaluating the design proposals for rebuilding the World Trade Center site that will be released Dec. 18.

It is anticipated that these designs, by seven international design teams, will demonstrate innovative ideas about not only the architectural and urban design potential of the site but also its social, cultural and economic relationship to the city and the region.

Over the next six weeks, ideas from these designs will form the basis for creation of a consolidated plan for the site. This is a very short period for both public review and incorporation of conclusions into a plan. Such an accelerated time frame makes it doubly crucial that citizens, civic leaders and design professionals--architects, planners and engineers--quickly but comprehensively analyze these proposals and provide informed and timely input into the planning process.

In order to analyze the schemes, NYNV has assembled a broad-based task force of architects, planners and landscape architects, chaired by Hugh Hardy, FAIA.

Hardy, a distinguished New York architect, stated, "For citizen and professional alike, we must approach these designs with an open mind, and not be afraid of new forms and innovative approaches. However, in evaluating the designs we can't allow the process to become a beauty contest, letting our judgment be swayed by dramatic structures and pretty pictures.

"Our emphasis," he stressed, "has to be a focus on the primary question, what type of future does each design yield?"

He described the process of answering that question as evaluating each proposed design through a set of associated questions:

* Does the design provide appropriate 'sacred space,' dedicated to the events of 9/11 and those who lost their lives?

* Does the design provide for 'living memorial' uses, civic and cultural facilities that serve the city and surrounding community, demonstrating unity and resilience of spirit?

* Does the design provide a range of public and open space, from private contemplative zones to public park or gathering places?

* Does the design anchor itself in the site's community context, connecting neighborhoods, enhancing residential communities, linking retail development, and integrating pedestrian circulation?

* Does the design provide for both regional and city-wide transportation--forging connections between existing and new mass transit linkages and accommodating bus! auto accessibility with minimal impact to the surrounding community fabric?

* Does the design embody and enrich the historical fabric and cultural framework of the site and Lower Manhattan?

* Does the design respond to the need to replace lost office space with a phased and flexible approach that allows for response to changing market conditions and evolving public policy approaches?

* Does the design provide for needed new retail development in a way that reinforces existing pedestrian corridors and emerging city- wide shopping patterns?

* Finally, does the design provide an exciting and understandable experience in terms of sequence of movement, quality of space, symbolism of form, reinforcement of the skyline, and attitudes towards light, structure, energy, materials, and sustainable development?

The public review of the design schemes is an important and vital part of the process of rebuilding. To this end NYNV encourages citizens to look at the schemes and ask their own questions about what type of future the plans may yield. At the same time, it encourages LMDC and the Port Authority to incorporate appropriate opportunity for structured public input and reaction.