A Time to Rebuild, Daniel Liebeskind in Exhibition at the Onisaburo Gallery
Jill Conner
Following World War II, the architectural designs of LeCorbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius flourished in America under the heading of the International Style. Best remembered as stripped-down, economical construction plans that sought to utilize vast amounts of open space within public and private structures, this new method of building blossomed parallel to the booming economy of the 1950’s.
After the Twin Towers were destroyed in September 2001, architects and urban planners sought a new aesthetic. Buildings could no longer succeed as impersonal frameworks. Daniel Liebeskind’s sketches for the re-development of Lower Manhattan, on view at the Interfaith Center, combine artistic creativity with human needs, answering this need for a new aesthetic.
The drawings describe how creating new structures upon a site of tragedy can bring renewal without losing sight of history. For Liebeskind, time is a critical component of this new aesthetic. “Drawing #2” is a white square, hastily drawn, surrounding two small squares that represent where the towers once stood. Two lines intersect an radiate from the footprints. “Drawing #3” reflects the rationale behind this abstraction, showing that the axis from “Drawing #2” represents the position of the sun at the time each tower fell.
“Drawing #5” illustrates the architect’s objective to reassert the skyline at 1776 feet with a vertical garden to symbolize those lives that were unexpectedly lost. The site of the towers will thus become “Culture at Heart,” as the historical business center is transformed into a museum and promenade where people can gather, interact, and commune.
How can art or architecture bridge the gap created by tragedy? Liebeskind’s plan is to build upon the foundations left behind by the explosions, starting with the 30-foot depth now referred to as Ground Zero as a point of departure.
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