NEW YORK | 200 Greenwich - 2 WTC | 1,270 FT | 80 FLOORS | ON HOLD

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

It looks like a 1,300’ version of what might be the centerpiece of Wolf Point in Chicago or something that would be built on Wacker Drive.

That was my first impression as well.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by jbermingham123

This appears to be pure value engineering of the original design, and not actually a redesign at all.

If you look closely, the massing still "slopes" down roughly diagonally in the same direction as the diamond did. This is exactly the same building with the same floor layout and everything, but no diamond. Right angles are cheaper.

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Value Engineers need to be fired and never work again.

There was no "value engineering" here. Silverstein could very easily put up a more boxy building. Instead, this is basically Foster's original design, reworked to reflect what is currently in demand in the market. Also, the base has larger floors, which results in the cantilvered lower floors where the "wedge of light" is located. If this tower still had the diamond top, the same people would be ranting and raving over how great the design is.

Originally Posted by Kurtz

With 2 wtc being the biggest thing not covered by federal money, but only on the anchor finding, it is clear that Silverstein had/has to do something attractive and at the same time take into account the actual demand, which has not happened.

Silverstein needed an anchor tenant to get 3 WTC financed, and he would need one for tower 2, unless he builds on spec, and idea he has floated around. However, with what seems like a large hotel also anchoring the tower, that could increase the chances that a committed operator could lean more towards spec.

Meanwhile, Silverstein still has not officially released any design changes, though we know that's coming.

https://wtc.com/office-space/2-world...#leasingAnchor

[jbermingham123]

Originally Posted by NYguy

If this tower still had the diamond top, the same people would be ranting and raving over how great the design is.

Very astute observation.. it never occurred to me that perhaps the dissatisfaction with this design had something to do with the missing diamond top

[worldtrade2021]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Also, the base has larger floors, which results in the cantilvered lower floors where the "wedge of light" is located. If this tower still had the diamond top, the same people would be ranting and raving over how great the design is.

Wasn't part of the reason for the diamond shaped top of the 2 WTC that it was oriented to give the "wedge of light" effect? Or was that more to give the effect of the light reflecting downwards and northwest onto the anti-prism facade of 1 WTC and onto the reflecting pools?



There is another wedge of light effect in the BIG verison of 2 WTC. However that doesn't have to do with the design of the building but more the tilt of the building.

Originally Posted by NYguy

https://wtc.com/office-space/2-world...#leasingAnchor

That website has had renderings of the BIG version of 2 WTC even long after Silverstein announced that he was moving back to the Foster design in 2020.

[Raysiri]

Someone on SkyscraperCity posted a very interesting website: https://www.chloeyae.design/work/2wtc

[Hudson11]

Its different from the leaked models, but shares a lot of similarities. Perhaps a tweaked version. This person seems to be the artist for the building's branding and has worked on a brochure.

[MAC123]

I really like this redesign, I dunno about you guys. Edit: Not that it's confirmed or anything.

[worldtrade2021]

Originally Posted by Raysiri

Someone on SkyscraperCity posted a very interesting website: https://www.chloeyae.design/work/2wtc

"the culmination of 25 years of learning and innovation" portion in the description of the "Our Story" image suggests that currently if construction begins within the year and is completed on schedule, 2 WTC is expected to be open by the end of 2026 (25 years: 2001 + 25 = 2026):

Edit: alternatively, 25 years of learning and innovation could mean 25 years after the first render of Foster's 2 WTC design was released in 2006, in 2031 (2006 + 25 = 2031) and currently 2 WTC is scheduled to be open at that later time.
If the banner seen in front of the entrance of 2 WTC in the bottom most render image is seen at the 2 WTC site when construction starts, that will serve as a confirmation that this design is official:

The render is from 2021 and looks different enough from the previous renders that it looks fairly recent, yet on this page

https://www.chloeyae.design/about

experience listed mentions
Superunion WPP Assoc. Designer 2019-2021,

and Superunion is listed under the Creative heading in the top-most image on https://www.chloeyae.design/work/2wtc, so this redesign could have been in the works since 2019.

Also, the design of the PAC (second from top in following series of images) doesn't have the black granite base that was part of the redesigned renders released in summer 2021 https://newyorkyimby.com/2021/07/new...manhattan.html:

Originally Posted by MAC123

I really like this redesign, I dunno about you guys. Edit: Not that it's confirmed or anything.

In the view of 2 WTC from the north in the second to bottom most render in the following list of images, it looks like a squared off version of the old Foster design from the 2 WTC along with a slightly different glass design and many more outdoor terraces. Not the best angle to view it from imo, but the render BIG version of 2 viwed from the north left a lot to be desired too.

Also considering that the bottom part of the building seems to have retained much the same characteristics of the previous Foster redesign, here is what the base of 2 WTC looked like in older renderings from dbox released in the early 2010s:

[Kurtz]

Originally Posted by MAC123

I really like this redesign, I dunno about you guys. Edit: Not that it's confirmed or anything.

Wow, all that green is welcome, the design is truly worth

[Raysiri]

Indeed it is!

[JMKeynes]

I hope that this is the latest design.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

I hope that this is the latest design.

Reminiscent of NEMA Chicago

[O-tacular]

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking. Also a nicer, less stubby version of BIG's Union Centre in Toronto:

[JMKeynes]

That Toronto tower is pretty nice.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

That Toronto tower is pretty nice.

I'm not really a fan. I love what Ingels did in Calgary and Vancouver but not this proposal for Toronto. Too fat and stout looking. Also kinda reminds me of his 2WTC design meets the Spiral.

I much prefer the Foster design in the brochure if that is in fact real.

[Raysiri]

It would be better if we use this design with Fosters’ diamonds outlines.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I'm not really a fan. I love what Ingels did in Calgary and Vancouver but not this proposal for Toronto. Too fat and stout looking. Also kinda reminds me of his 2WTC design meets the Spiral.

I much prefer the Foster design in the brochure if that is in fact real.

I suspect that the design in the brochure is real. The meeting date on it was last month and the Silverstein e-mail address is an accurate one.

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

I hope that this is the latest design.

Seems way too busy a design for this site...

[JMKeynes]

It looks great to me.

[chris08876]

Better then BIG's design IMO.