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See this previous post for more illustrations of the final Freedom Tower designs.
Rebuilding of WTC gets final approval:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Plans to build the Freedom Tower and three other skyscrapers at Ground Zero were formally approved on Thursday in a deal that would see the former World Trade Center site rebuilt by 2012.
Commenter Emwen has posted on the high-tech features planned for the new tower. From the Architectural Fact Sheet for the Freedom Tower:
Safety
The building incorporates advanced life safety systems that exceed the requirements of the New York City Building Code and that will lead the way in developing new highrise building standards. In addition to structural redundancy and extra strong fireproofing, the building includes biological and chemical filters in the air supply system. To assume optimum egress and firefighting capacity, extra-wide pressurized stairs, low-level emergency lighting and concrete protection for all sprinklers and emergency risers are being provided, in addition to interconnected redundant exits, additional stair exit locations at all adjacent streets and direct exits to the street from tower stairs. All of the building's life-safety systems - stairs, communications, risers, sprinklers, elevators - are encased in a core wall that is three feet thick in most places. This building is being designed to facilitate emergency response with enhanced emergency communication cables, together with a dedicated stair for use by firefighters. These are used in conjunction with enhanced elevators housed in a protected central building core that serve every floor of the building. In addition, "areas of refuge" are located on each floor.
Sustainable Design
Freedom Tower uses new technologies and methods to maximize efficiency, minimize waste and pollution and reduce the impacts of the development for all concerned. Our team is pursuing unprecedented collaborations with technology and energy leaders throughout the world to take advantage of the next generation of innovative energy sources, such as cogeneration and fuel cells as well as both on- site and off-site renewable energy sources such as wind energy.
Freedom Tower is being built according to World Trade Center Sustainable Design Guidelines that are unprecedented in their scope and depth. Drafted in consultation with leading environmental groups and community advocates, these guidelines for commercial development at the World Trade Center go well beyond standards for other office buildings. They call for cutting-edge innovation in air quality, energy efficiency, daylighting, water conservation, materials conservation and clean construction.
In order to achieve a world class model of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, Freedom Tower will include: state-of-the-art energy conservation technology to reduce energy demand; better interior "daylighting" and views of the outside for occupants due to ultra-clear glass technology that also saves energy; improved indoor air quality due to outside-air ventilation and use of building materials without toxic materials such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs); water conservation due to reuse of rainwater for building cooling and irrigation; reduction of vehicular traffic via proximity to public transportation and provision of facilities for bicycle commuters; waste reduction through recycling of construction debris and use of recycled-content building materials; natural resource protection via use of sustainably harvested wood; and cleaner air in the community due to use of ultra- low sulfur diesel fuels and particulate filters on construction vehicles, for which the EPA has already given Silverstein Properties a 2004 Environmental Quality Award. Additionally, a 5000-square-foot tenant 'exemplar' space will be built to demonstrate the Freedom Tower's cutting edge design technologies and philosophies that maximize energy savings and enhance the interior quality of life for workers in the building.
It really sounds like they got this right. It looks like this will be a building we can be proud of.
#1
#2It has been quite a while. But this new design is really good. And look what an improvement it is over the original design! The original design was unacceptable.
#3I'm writing a paper on the controversy about whether the tower is "safe" or not, and it sure looks like the claims about it being the safest tower in the world are pretty accurate. I love the overall appearance of the new complex, too!
#4Excellent, Jordan. Please post some paragraphs from your paper here if you wish.
#5Read this.
There are 20 angels in this world.
10 are sleeping.
9 are playing.
1 is reading this post.
#6I just wish they would build it already. New york needs it!
#7They should add one in the shape of a huge middle finger directed toward the cradle of terrorism.
#8This discusses the abandonment of the Freedom Tower name in favor of 1 World Trade Center.
Finally, the Port of Authority is showing some sense! This New Yorker, who lost friends and business associates there on September 11th, applauds the decision.
#9exccellent. is neww york
I like the design also. Fresh, contemporary. Was that a painful birth or what? 5 years.