Contact:

Alfredo Andia, Ph.D
andia@post.harvard.edu
Phone: 305 479 7644

 

Organizers 2002 workshop:
School of Architecture, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Center for Design Visualization, U.C. Berkeley, California
School of Architecture, Universidad Uniacc, Chile


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PRESS RELEASE: WHAT GOES ABOVE GROUND ZERO HAS ONLY 5 PLANNING OPTIONS

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July 10th, 2002. There are only 5 planning options for the future of Ground Zero according to a major workshop of architects, academicians, and students who worked on solutions for the site as part of the "Internet Studio" program. The "Internet Studio" is an international academic-consortium in which a large number of architects, professors, citizens, government officials, and students meet via the Internet and videoconference technology to discuss and design strategies for controversial urban issues around the world. In the past month the "Internet Studio" Network congregated to develop planning ideas for what goes above ground at the former site of the WTC complex.

The workshop organized by members at the Schools of Architecture at Florida International University in Miami, Center for Design Visualization at U.C. Berkeley and Universidad Uniacc in Santiago de Chile.

Professor Alfredo Andia, Ph.D. an architecture professor from Florida International University directed this workshop. According to Dr. Andia, "there have been numerous efforts in the design community to put architectural images forward for the future of Ground Zero, however, little emphasis has been placed on defining the planning choices of the site. In this workshop, we have attempted to see what are the real choices for the site. This is important because Ground Zero is one of the most sensitive urban sites in the world today. The solutions require an open participation of all those interested and a good understanding of all the available options.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LDMC), who is in charge of the site development, has a very difficult task. If images and/or planning solutions are announced without a clear public understanding of the reasoning behind the process then the solution may seem suspicious." Dr. Andia, the workshop organizer, adds "to clarify the public process we found it extremely important to investigate and try to exhaust all the possibilities that the site has before trying to attempt any architectural move. We chose to concentrate on what goes above ground on the site because that is the most controversial part of the project; it should define the amount of infrastructure and transportation that goes underneath."

According to the workshop, the solutions of what goes above Ground Zero fell into 5 planning solution categories:

Option 1. 16-acre memorial super-block:  
The first planning alternative considers the conservation of the 16-acre super-block and uses it entirely for a memorial and related cultural activities.

< click here to enlarge description of option 1 >

Option 2. 16-acre memorial using the old Manhattan Grid:
The second development option reintroduces the old Manhattan grid into the site but leaves the entire 16 acres for memorial and related cultural activities.

< click here to enlarge description of option 2 >

Option 3. Mix memorial and office towers rebuilding the old Manhattan grid:
The third planning choice reintroduces the Manhattan grid and mixes a program of a memorial with office and retail space. It leaves between 4 to 7 acres for a memorial and the reminder for office and retail development.

< click here to enlarge description of option 3 >

Option 4. Mix memorial and office towers using the super-block:
The fourth option maintains the super-block structure and allows for the development of an expressive architecture that combine high-rise towers and a memorial.

< click here to enlarge description of option 4 >

Option 5. Rebuild the WTC complex:
The fifth option is the reconstruction of high-rise towers similar to the WTC center. The idea had significant popular support right after September 11. And is the solution of choice for 48 % of more than 600 New Yorkers interviewed by the NYPost on mid July 2002.


< click here to enlarge description of option 5 >

Summary Of Discussion Regarding
The 5 Options One of the major concerns for those involved in the planning process of the Ground Zero site is the position of the victims' families. Today the families are congregated into approximately 6 different groups. Although they do not have a unique vision for the site there is a consensus among these groups that there should be a memorial in the former grounds of the WTC complex. Among the most sensitive issues that have emerged in the past 9 months, since September 11, are the footprints of the WTC center towers 1 and 2 where most of the victims died. The issues to be discussed in the following pages are not simple and are particularly difficult to the victims' families. The planning task is not easy. It is estimated that around 80,000 to 120,000 people are directly related to somebody who died in the towers and many more citizens of New York are directly affected due to the events of September 11.



The primary conclusion of the workshop was that in spite of the different views and interests people have regarding the future of Ground Zero the planning strategies are very limited and can fall into 5 different alternatives.

The discussion that follows in the next pages attempts to clarify the arguments and criticisms of these planning strategies.

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Previous media pieces about "Internet Studio" workshops can be found at:


DISCOVERY CHANNEL, "Vida@Línea": http://istudio01.tripod.com/realdicover/discov28k.rm
BBC WORLD SERVICE, "Web connects design students": http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1544000/1544378.stm
BBC MUNDO, "Arquitectura en red para A. Latina": http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/science/newsid_1514000/1514682.stm
DIARIO EL CLARIN, Argentina, "La Entrega en Internet": http://istudio01.tripod.com/clarin.pdf
DIARIO LA HORA, Chile, "Estudiantes se Comunican Virtualmente": http://istudio01.tripod.com/lahora.jpg
NHK TV, Japan: http://istudio01.tripod.com/clip6.rm
GOVERNMENT VIDEO MAGAZINE, "Distance learning goes the last mile": http://www.uniweb.cl/tdu/gov/story.html
ARCHINGEO MAGAZINE, March 2002, "Internet Studios":
OFFICIAL DELEGATION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO CHILE AND ARGENTINA: http://istudio01.tripod.com/news/jeb.html


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