Tall towers, innovative parks

Iconic. Bold. Inspiring.

These are the kinds of words New Yorkers can relate to. And the kind that echoed through the World Financial Center's Winter Garden this week as some of the world's greatest architects unveiled their visions for ground zero.

From two structures of steel scaffolding that have buildings and parks suspended within, to a glass double helix that rises above the skyline with the same dissonant dominance of the old World Trade Center, these designs provoke a reaction. Which is exactly what New Yorkers said they wanted last July after they greeted the first set of designs with a resounding Bronx cheer.

Indeed, the amount of public input into development of these 16 acres that are at once sacred, symbolic, and a center of commerce is unparalleled. So, too, is the international interest. Within hours of Wednesday's presentation, millions of people from around the world had already logged onto websites to view proposals - and register their own reactions. It's a testament to the power that the scar in lower Manhattan still wields - both in terms of the emotion it evokes and the possibilities it represents.

"The designs they have created are born not only of the designers' minds, but also of their hearts," says John Whitehead, the chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. "The architects have responded in great depth to the question, What does Sept. 11 represent?"

In doing so, Mr. Whitehead says the designers embraced and extended the original ethos of the trade center, which represented the "value of global commerce over global conflict."

They were also given a set of guidelines that came from last July's unprecedented town meeting, during which almost 5,000 New Yorkers registered their opinions. Their assignments included the restoration of a striking skyline, preservation of the footprints of the twin towers, and the reintegration of the site into lower Manhattan's daily bustle.

But most of all, they wanted any new building to make a bold statement to reflect the nature of this big gritty city that's not shy about laying claim to the title "capital of the world."

At first blush, it appears these architects have succeeded in giving the people what they wanted. "You can't compare them. These are imaginative and creative, while the others were pedestrian, ordinary, and unimpressive," says Cynthia Moten, who lives nearby at Battery Park City.

Four of the proposals include towers that could claim to be the tallest in the world. One, submitted by the British firm Foster and Partners, is an environmentally efficient crystalline tower that mimics the design of the original trade center. United Architects, meanwhile, presented a cathedral-like collection of five cantilevered buildings that culminate in a single tower. And a consortium of architects called Think presented three proposals, including the one with steel scaffolding, whose parks at the top would offer the same stunning view that drew millions to Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the original trade center.

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