But if this is a potentially fascinating work of architecture, it is, sadly, fascinating in the way that Albert Speer’s architectural nightmares were fascinating: as expressions of the values of a particular time and era. The Freedom Tower embodies, in its way, a world shaped by fear.
That’s Nicolai Ouroussoff, in yesterday’s New York Times, talking about the redesigned Freedom Tower. Read the rest of the article, as it gets straight to the heart of at least some of the absurdities of the project. The Freedom Tower will rest on a 200-foot-tall, nearly windowless, cement pedestal, gussied up a bit with reflective metal panels?!! It’s really hard to say anything about the current understanding of “freedom” that isn’t already said by the design.
