NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Faculty of the Built Environment Department of Architecture

The following is a detailed critical analysis of architect Daniel Libeskind and his work on Project Ground ZERO This illustrated essay serves as partial fulfillment of the course requirements of the studies on Contemporary History and Theory of Architecture I (AAR 3104) By

Blessing Mukome (N0113440P)

Daniel Libeskinds

Project Ground

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Project Ground Zero: The background
September 11, 2001 - 19 alQaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. 2,973 victims and the 19 hijackers died as a result of the entire attacks. On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani proclaimed, "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, and economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again. Indeed, New York has seen reconstruction on Ground ZERO - on the sites of the destroyed buildings, one, 7 World Trade Center, has a new office tower which was completed in 2006. The 1 World Trade Center (or Freedom Tower) is currently under construction at the site and at 1,776 ft (541 m) upon completion in 2011, will become one of the tallest buildings in North America.

The Architect
Daniel Libeskind was born in postwar Poland in 1946. As a youngster he moved with his family to Israel in 1957 and to the United

States in 1959. Studied music in Israel but left music to study architecture. Professional architecture degree in 1970 from the Cooper Union. Postgraduate degree in History and Theory of Architecture at the School of
Comparative Studies at Essex University (England) in 1972. Has taught and lectured at many universities worldwide. He has held such positions as the Frank O. Gehry Chair at the University of Toronto.

Influences

Childhood propelled by music His transition to architecture was the culmination of his interests in mathematics, painting, and the arts. Libeskind did not want to imitate designs, but instead wanted to develop his own notions. So he decided to pursue teaching and develop` his theories of design rather than actually creating buildings, because of his seemingly inconceivable ideas at that time. His first building the Jewish Museum Berlin became his first design breakthrough. His works have the reflection of the history (past), says of the time (present) and run to the infinity (future)

Libeskinds Design Philosophy & Deconstructivism

Design Philosophy
Daniel Libeskind believes that architecture has entered nearly an end condition, and that it has lost its reputation and the everyday architecture is dead. His venture into Deconstruction is as a result of his wanting to give his works some movement and life. Libeskind thought of architecture as a connector or linkage of present, past and future and so most of his works have the reflection of the history (past), says of the time (present) and run to the infinity (future). His buildings are not just buildings; they are metaphors, A writer is not interested in writings; he just wants to tell a story. he says. To Libeskind, architecture is a medium to communicate the beauty of a space, of life and shadow. In his life dislocation, destruction and survival are powerful elements. Libeskind is determined to get away from the simplified view of architectures tradition, and his aim is emotionally to create a space which emotionally moves the soul

The Deconstructivist Movement

There was a reaction against Modern Architecture and Design that began in the 1970s. The problem was Modernism itself its strict but nave FUNCTIONALISM. Incepted in the 1980s, Deconstructivism is an avant-garde movement that DE-CONSTRUCTS the closed forms of the Modern Movement and accept that the character of elements is complex and derived from the interaction of many other adjacent elements. Deconstructivism: 1. Explodes architectural form 2. Destroys the dominance of the right angle 3. Derives from Russian Constructivism 4. Explores DYNAMIC spatial possibilities considered forbidden by the Modern Movement. 5. Provokes shock, uncertainty, unease, etc. 6. Rejects the idea of the `perfect form'

The exteriorities of Deconstructivist architecture

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Project Ground ZERO & the Freedom Tower
Studio Daniel Libeskinds design study was selected (from a design competition organized by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation for the lease holder as of September 11, 2001 Larry Silverstein) in February 2003 as the master site plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center Site. In addition to the Freedom Tower -a towering spire of 1776 feet (541,32 m) that is to replace the twin towers in their former position - the plan proposed a complex program which called for the construction of a memorial with waterfalls, an underground museum, a visitor center, retail space, a special transit hub and four office towers spiraling to the height of the freedom tower. During the years that followed the designing of the Freedom Tower, Daniel Libeskind's plan underwent many changes. Libeskind worked with skyscraper architect, David M. Childs, on plans for Freedom Tower for nearly a year. According to most reports, the partnership was stormy. However, by December 2003 they had developed a design that combined Libeskind's vision with ideas that Childs wanted. David Childs eventually became the lead designer for Freedom Tower, which was later renamed 1 World Trade Center. Daniel Libeskind became the master planner for the entire World Trade Center complex, coordinating the overall design and reconstruction The following illustrations and sketches in the following pages show Daniel Libeskind s original design for the Freedom Tower

What it could have been: Daniel Libeskinds original design

Libeskind's original plan called for a 1,776-foot (541m) spindle-shaped "Freedom Tower" with 7.5 million square feet of office space and room for indoor gardens above the 70th floor. At the center of the World Trade Center complex, a 70-foot pit would expose the concrete foundation walls of the former Twin Tower buildings. Daniel Libeskinds brand consists of sharp, angular, metallic shards, with gravity-defying walls, and conveys the unmistakable thrill of transgression and this is shown in his original design for the Freedom Tower, which bears resemblances with the Statue of Liberty. I arrived by ship to New York as a teenager, an immigrant, and like millions of others before me, my first sight was the Statue of Liberty and the amazing skyline of Manhattan. I have never forgotten that sight or what it stands for. This is what this project is all about. - Daniel LIBESKIND

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The Design Concept
It is notable that Libeskind's symbolism emerges from his prominent philosophy: The past - the year the United States got its independence (1776) being translated to the height of the Freedom Tower 1,776 feet. The present the response to the state of the site as a result of the September 11 attacks; as well as commemorating the lost lives in the features of the design itself. The future The Freedom Tower has a spire that would set off center, like the torch on the Statue of Liberty exuding an element of hope for the future. Libeskind himself describes this as a 1776 foot skyscraper that rises above its predecessors, reasserting the pre-eminence of freedom and beauty, restoring the spiritual peak to the city, creating a building that speaks of our vitality in the face of danger and our optimism in the aftermath of tragedy.

Number 17: Democratic vs. authoritarian

The architect describes ground zero as a complex project that is: Emotional there are so many interests involved; there are the emotions of the many victims Political - there is political power; there is money involved
Daniel Libeskind already is an architect that is inspired by contrasting dynamics (from his 17 words of architectural inspiration); and so he makes use of the messiness (that is, the complexity described above) in this project to draw up his inspiration for Ground ZERO: Democratic vs. authoritarian.

Those who were lost have become heroes. To commemorate those lost lives, I created two large public places, the Park of Heroes and the Wedge of Light. Each year on September 11th, between the hours of 8:46 a.m., when the first airplane hit, and 10:28 a.m., when the second tower collapsed, the sun will shine without shadow, in perpetual tribute to altruism and courage.
Daniel Libeskind

His Genius Loci

From Libeskind s 17 words of architectural inspiration, we can draw a number of design . trends and aspects that we can relate to the scheme of the Freedom Tower. Below are just some of these similarities:

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Outlook
It would have been interesting to see Libeskinds original design concept of the Freedom tower come to fruition. Daniel Libeskind posed an ambitious plan for reconstruction on Ground Zero exhibiting much of his design philosophy as well as his emphasis on past, present and future. All of his designs from the Jewish Museum to his work on the Ground ZERO project, present a nexus shown by the relationship of Libeskind's buildings to their surroundings. The life of traditional environments is not just seen in the forms themselves, but contains the seeds of its own dissemination. Rather, Libeskind's inspiration (that is usually based on a strong element of contrast) brings out his buildings to stand as sterile objects within the city and he brings that out in a very good way. Unlike traditional architecture which is both lived and reproduced, by dint of its origins in relatively simple human activities, the architecture Libeskind provides would serve to propagate only an avant-garde elite which, for all its talk of openness, thrives on a new form of mystification. Thats as good as deconstructivism gets.

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Sources
Rochan, Lisa. "Libeskind shows genius for complexity" (http://www.theglobeandmail.com), "The Globe and Mail", February 28, 2003 "1 World Trade Center" (http://www.wtc.com/about/freedom-tower/freedom-tower-Freedom). WTC.com. Retrieved November 1, 2013 Architecture Daniel Libeskind, Master Planner for the New York World Trade Center. (http://architecture.about.com/library/bl-libeskind-statement.htm). About.com. Retrieved November 10, 2013. "What Ever Happened to Daniel Libeskind's Original WTC Freedom Tower Design?" (http://inhabitat.com/nyc/the-tower-that-could-have-been-daniellibeskinds-award-winning-wtc-design/) Inhabitat.com. September 7, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2013. B. Hanson, N. Salingaros (2009). In the Cause for Architecture: Death, Life and Libeskind. (http://architecturalrecord.com) Freedom Tower (www.arcspace.com) One World Trade Center (www.archdaily.com) Official Studio Libeskind homepage (http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/index.html) Daniel Libeskind papers, 19681992 (http://library.getty.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=268944). Research Library at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, California Libeskind (2001). Daniel Libeskind (ISBN 0-7893-0496-1) Libeskind (2004). Breaking Ground (ISBN 1-57322-292-5) Libeskind (2008). Counterpoint (ISBN 1-58093-206-1)

Illustrated essay on Daniel LIBESKIND

Contemporary History and Theory of Architecture I AAR 3104 By:

Blessing Mukome [NO113440P]

Bachelor of Architectural Studies (Hons) Degree, NUST