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American Morning
Winning WTC Plan to be Announced
Aired February 27, 2003 - 07:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In New York City today, the finalist in the design competition for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site will be officially announced. The plan calls for a spire that would be the world's tallest. The architect behind the design is the son of holocaust survivors.
And joining us now from ground zero with the details is Jason Carroll.
So, can we pretty much say this man got the job? Or do you have to wait for the announcement?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, we don't have to wait for the announcement. We can say that this man officially got the job.
New Yorkers are waking up on this very chilly morning, and they're finding out exactly what the future skyline will look like, and the man who is responsible for it. His name, Daniel Libeskind.
Take a look at his winning design. As you say, it calls for building the world's tallest building. It would stand 1,776 feet tall. That number is significant, because it is the year of America's independence.
At the top of that spire-like structure would be sky gardens. We're going to hear more details about that later on when Daniel Libeskind makes his announcement. And much of ground zero will be left exposed in this particular plan.
Libeskind's design was chosen not only for its aesthetics, but also because it provides maximum flexibility for a memorial to be built.
Now, Libeskind's design beat out the other finalist from a team calling itself THINK. Let's take a look at their design. They called for building two lattice-like structures. They said they wanted you to imagine two Eiffel Towers standing side by side in downtown Manhattan. But again, Libeskind's design is the one that won out.
When I asked Libeskind what he would do if he won, he said, look, at that point, that is when the work is just going to start. He also said that the real challenges would begin if he was chosen, and it looks like he has been chosen.
Again, Paula, he's going to be making his announcement, telling us about more details of his plan later on this morning -- Paula. ZAHN: But the truth is, Jason, a lot stands in the way of him ever building this development, right? There are a lot of hurdles to clear.
CARROLL: Well, all of the architects who were involved in this process basically say that plans are going to evolve throughout the building stage. What we can end up seeing with this plan is maybe we won't get a building that's 1,776 feet tall. Maybe it will be a little bit shorter than that. Perhaps the plan in the end will provide for more open office space, maybe a little bit less. It's a plan that will definitely evolve, so we're just going to have to see what happens when he makes his announcement today.
ZAHN: Thanks for the preview. Jason Carroll, stay warm.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 27, 2003 - 07:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In New York City today, the finalist in the design competition for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site will be officially announced. The plan calls for a spire that would be the world's tallest. The architect behind the design is the son of holocaust survivors.
And joining us now from ground zero with the details is Jason Carroll.
So, can we pretty much say this man got the job? Or do you have to wait for the announcement?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, we don't have to wait for the announcement. We can say that this man officially got the job.
New Yorkers are waking up on this very chilly morning, and they're finding out exactly what the future skyline will look like, and the man who is responsible for it. His name, Daniel Libeskind.
Take a look at his winning design. As you say, it calls for building the world's tallest building. It would stand 1,776 feet tall. That number is significant, because it is the year of America's independence.
At the top of that spire-like structure would be sky gardens. We're going to hear more details about that later on when Daniel Libeskind makes his announcement. And much of ground zero will be left exposed in this particular plan.
Libeskind's design was chosen not only for its aesthetics, but also because it provides maximum flexibility for a memorial to be built.
Now, Libeskind's design beat out the other finalist from a team calling itself THINK. Let's take a look at their design. They called for building two lattice-like structures. They said they wanted you to imagine two Eiffel Towers standing side by side in downtown Manhattan. But again, Libeskind's design is the one that won out.
When I asked Libeskind what he would do if he won, he said, look, at that point, that is when the work is just going to start. He also said that the real challenges would begin if he was chosen, and it looks like he has been chosen.
Again, Paula, he's going to be making his announcement, telling us about more details of his plan later on this morning -- Paula. ZAHN: But the truth is, Jason, a lot stands in the way of him ever building this development, right? There are a lot of hurdles to clear.
CARROLL: Well, all of the architects who were involved in this process basically say that plans are going to evolve throughout the building stage. What we can end up seeing with this plan is maybe we won't get a building that's 1,776 feet tall. Maybe it will be a little bit shorter than that. Perhaps the plan in the end will provide for more open office space, maybe a little bit less. It's a plan that will definitely evolve, so we're just going to have to see what happens when he makes his announcement today.
ZAHN: Thanks for the preview. Jason Carroll, stay warm.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
