September 11th, 2001 was an attack not only on the World Trade Center or even America, but on the physical fabric of the city itself. To address 9/11 and the resulting tragedy requires that, rather than simply trying to rebuild memories of the past or attempting to reconcile the demands of local interest groups and parties with financial stakes in the site, we interrogate the very idea of the future city.

Should a new architecture for Ground Zero be specific to its circumstance and site—in other words, to be deeply rooted in the events of 9/11? Or, in contrast, should it have a global reach and be a model for the evolving city of tomorrow? more

The Tri-Towers project is not about providing images or "designs." Architects must first determine the context in which they operate. They must try to design the conditions before conditioning the design.

The Tri-Towers similarly is not a project in the conventional sense, but rather, an attempt to generate a set of questions about the city of the 21st century. The building is intended to be an urban condenser, combining high density and "mixity" of multiple programs. The Tri-Towers carry no symbolism except for their presence. back

Credits

SCHEDULE
Study, 2002
SIZE
11,000,000 sq. feet
TEAM
Lead Designer: Bernard Tschumi. Key Personnel: Irene Cheng, Adam Dayem, William Feuerman, Anne Save de Beaurecueil, Daniel Holguin, Michaela Metcalfe, Allis Chee, Jonathan Chace back

Program: Cultural, Master Plan, Offices, Theoretical