Kyle May Livres

Fifty years ago, in 1964, Minoru Yamasaki's proposed design for the World Trade Center was first revealed to the public. Rising far above the Lower Manhattan skyline, the Twin Towers-centerpieces of the original World Trade Center complex-were intended, in the words of their architect, to "become a living representation of man's belief in humanity." From the beginning, the project was not without controversy. Positioned at the confluence of several transportation routes, an entire district known as "Radio Row" would be claimed through eminent domain and demolished to make way for the new center of commerce. The abstract-arguably overpowering-design invited fierce criticism. Nevertheless, Yamasaki and associate architects Emery Roth & Sons would devote over a decade to the design and construction of the World Trade Center, which proved significant not only as an urban renewal project, but also as an architectural and engineering marvel. By the time of their destruction, the Twin Towers were one of New York City's most prominent icons. With the new World Trade Center slowly approaching completion, the importance and irreplaceability of the original becomes more evident. CLOG will therefore critically examine that which has forever been lost: the World Trade Center, Dedicated April 4, 1973.

A defining architectural style of the postwar era- characterized by severe, abstract geometries and the use of cast concrete, block and brick- Brutalism arguably produced some of the world's least popular public buildings. The style's international propagation brought modern architecture to ever-larger constituencies, and some argue that the perceived shortcomings of these Brutalist structures led to the demise of the Modernist project. While today often admired (and even loved) by architects, many Brutalist projects are now threatened with demolition. Judging by the work of many contemporary practitioners, however, the influence of Brutalism only seems to grow. Before the wrecking balls swing, it is time to look back on, debate, understand, and learn from Brutalism.

"The feedback loop between fiction and reality remains strong today, with kilometer-high towers rising in the Middle East, new building materials emerging on a seemingly daily basis, and unconventional--if not outright bizarre--shapes blanketing our cities and countrysides. As science fiction continues to both draw upon historic and contemporary architecture while simultaneously influencing future design, it is time to critically examine the improbable made possible" -- P. [5].