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Sixteen Acres: Architecture and the Outrageous Struggle
for the Future of Ground Zero, by Philip Nobel.
Philip Nobel's thorough account of
the personal and political struggles to rebuild on the World
Trade Center site offers many valuable insights into the
sometimes overwhelming festivities that have transpired
over the last three years. Being a commercial development
with the added pressure of symbolizing a national tragedy
is one of the book's approaches to the site. And contemporary
architecture's inability to act as a suitable symbol to
the public - compared with classical architecture - is an
oft-mentioned "fact" throughout the book. Nobel
paints a vivid picture of the conflicts among the various
parties involved (Governor Pataki, Larry Silverstein, the
LMDC, Daniel Libeskind, David Childs, etc), but more interesting
are the personal motives driving each party - and impacting
the outcome - in a project that will probably have a far-reaching
impact beyond its core of New York real estate "values".
The popular opinion of rebuilding the Twin Towers does not
escape the author, who sympathizes with the well-meaning
groups pushing this cause. If the Twin Towers were as beloved
before September 11 as they have been since, this might
be the obvious solution, but as things stand today an alternative
solution is being pushed that will be scrutinized for years
to come. And even though developers, politicians, ad hoc
groups, and architects are involved in the process, the
focus will be on the last, their solutions probably affecting
the public's perception of architects and architecture,
for better or worse.
. . or . . 
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