Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 10:03:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Louis Epstein To: Robert Young Subject: Re: We Must Rebuild the WTC Towers! On Sun, 16 Sep 2001, Robert Young wrote: > I agree 100%. If they are rebuilt they can be made > stronger, with more interior support and NOT flammable > aluminum siding. Also, with the antenna the building > was 1,725 feet. Since a spire counts in the building > height but an antenna doesn't, a spire could make it > easier. Hmm...so if we wanted to reach 1,776 feet with an antenna the same size,the building proper could be 1419 feet (North Tower had the antenna and was 1,368 feet tall). 115 stories if the stories are in the same places. > Many have criticized the WTC in the past as ugly > boxes. The only redeeming quality was they were so > massive, they imposed their will on Lower Manhattan > (which is a bad point to some). But the shattering of that will by the terrorists must not be conceded. > Perhaps twin towers with a large base, tall central shaft, > pyramidal top, and spire would look great. Looking for something like the old Metropolitan Life building scaled up? Any departures should be made with structural reasons in mind.There are reasons tops should sway in winds and earthquakes,so simple rigidity is not the criterion. > When the skyscrapers.com site gets operational again I > may send photos of building ideas. > > One more idea: After the Titanic, new ships had to > have lifeboats for everyone. How about a safety > parachute for the floors 50 and above? Hmmm...a little likely to inspire fear,and not everyone wants to jump. Bridges to the other tower every 20 floors might offer escape if one tower has trouble. > Sincerely, > Robert Young > Atlanta On the public opinion front...today's NY Times has one pro- and two anti-rebuilding letters,though the pro letter is longer and first.(One of the antis is the predictable build-a-memorial... I am ALWAYS angry when massacre sites glorify the perpetrators by being deprived of their intended purpose in order to immortalize the killing,but in this terrorist attack on a nation's pride,rebuilding is ESPECIALLY important). I don't know what they printed Friday or Saturday on the subject. > --- Louis Epstein wrote: > > > > I've done a googlesearch of newsgroups and found > > about three dozen of you who appear to have valid > > addresses and to share my strong conviction that > > the World Trade Center towers MUST necessarily be > > rebuilt,at LEAST as tall and at LEAST as strong as > > before. > > > > You come from many different places and many > > different > > newsgroups,but as long as we share this conviction I > > hope we can cooperate toward raising consciousness > > regarding this goal. > > > > To retreat in any way from the size of the former > > towers hands a monumental victory to the terrorists: > > in this war of symbols their destruction of our > > symbols will stand as an accomplished fact,they will > > have "cut us down to size",and their kind will forever > > be able to point to a success,the place where the towers > > USED to be,until they put a stop to it and we were > > "terrorized" into not rebuilding them. > > > > It is of vital importance that what they did be > > UNdone,utterly and vigorously.That we be able to > > point to the evidence of their FAILURE to destroy > > our symbols or our spirits...or our freedom from > > fear of them.It is that fear that is most often > > cited as a reason for retreating from the former > > towers..."Who would want to work there?",etc. > > > > If we have been terrorized,the terrorists have WON. > > > > Certainly the new towers can be improved. > > The bearing-wall construction provided wind > > and earthquake resistance,and the attraction > > of undivided interior space when desired...but > > I think the latter has to be compromised for > > strength,and the outer walls can also be improved. > > The exterior skin was combustible aluminum, > > which fed the airplane fires.Welded(not merely > > pinned,remember the lessons of the Citicorp > > Center) cross-braces might also be used to > > good effect. > > > > The bearing-wall/elevator-core structure of the WTC > > was like this in cross-section... > > > > ----------------- > > | | > > | ____ | > > | | | | > > | |__| | > > | | > > | | > > ----------------- > > > > If there were an interior layer of structural > > support... > > > > ----------------- > > | ________ | > > | | ____ | | > > | | | | | | > > | | |__| | | > > | |________| | > > | | > > ----------------- > > > > the buildings would likely have withstood the impact > > long enough for complete evacuation and the presence > > of fire equipment in time to save them from collapse. > > > > This interior structural layer has the potential to > > become the outer wall of a subsequent set-back,which > > could be the part that rises above the former towers' > > shape and height. > > I see,potentially,a glass-roofed 111th floor(the > > roof level of the old towers) that would be a memorial > > garden,and in the center a section rising higher still. > > I realize that every foot would be a harder sell than > > the last,but perhaps 1455 feet (one foot taller than > > the Sears Tower, thus tallest in the USA) would get > > backing...this would make the buildings perhaps 119 > > stories. > > > > Going after Petronas or the various Asiatic projects > > scheduled to be even taller might be a harder sell. > > But perhaps the "patriotic" height of 1776 feet > > would > > be attained(if only by a broadcast tower or > > flagpole), > > or the 1792 feet (the New York Stock Exchange was > > founded in 1792) that Donald Trump once proposed for > > a new NYSE tower.I see little chance that the "twice > > as tall" some of you mentioned would be feasible. > > > > However,we need to keep up the sentiment and let the > > politicians and businessmen know that the symbolism > > of failing to aspire as high as before the terror > > amounts to surrender to terrorism.The master lessee > > Larry Silverstein told the Wall Street Journal > > Friday that new towers would "not necessarily" be as > > tall as the old,and people who have never liked > > skyscrapers have been piling onto the terrorists' > > bandwagon with insistences that the skyscraper is, > > as the terrorists want,a thing of the past. > > > > Ideas for who to contact are welcome,I've emailed > > my elected representatives,the Trump Organization > > (in case they want to pile in),the Port Authority > > (still the owners),and others. > > > > Keep the word spreading. > > Keep the hopes rising. > > The Towers MUST RISE AGAIN! > > >