mirror mirror: reflections on the world trade center site

THE TRIBECA TRIB SEPTEMBER 2012 25 MIRROR T he towers rising from the World Trade Center site are mirrors of rebirth, their glass facades playing off each other and the buildings around them in surprising and sometimes wonderful ways. Surprising because the reflected imagery dis- played on these new structures—the six-year-old 7 World Trade Center and the lofty 1 and 4 World Trade Center—is anything but static and pre- dictable. Where we stand and the time of day we stand there, the weather and the season, too, can make all the difference in this gallery of infinite abstractions. The variety of visual experiences will only be- come richer when the other planned buildings— World Trade Center 2 and 3—finally rise and grow glass skins of their own. Walking by the site these days, I nearly always look for something new that one tower or another has to offer. I’ve also had the good fortune to observe and photograph (with a telephoto lens) the buildings from high up in one or another of the other structures, allowing even more possibilities. Seen from the 48th floor of 7 World Trade Center, for example, a much distorted Tribeca comes into view on one face of 1 World Trade Center; towers to the east can be seen on another. The Millenium Hotel provides an impressionistic view of uptown and clouds in the late afternoon sky, but only from high up in 4 World Trade Center. (See the photos on pages 26 and 27.) Carol Willis, the director of the Skyscraper Museum, notes that we can enjoy the surfaces of these magnificent curtain walls much as we would their architectural forbears. “It’s the same as if you are looking at a beautiful building of foot-thick limestone from the 1800s or the Amiens Cathedral,” she says. “The way a mate- rial catches and plays with light is one of the endur- ing qualities of architecture across the ages.” For more photographs and additional informa- tion on this project, go to mirroredrisings.com. Reflections on the World Trade Center Site 4 World Trade, the south side, reflecting 115 Broadway. 7 World Trade, at left, reflecting the Goldman Sachs building, on right. 4 World Trade Center, reflecting buildings to the south. Photographed from the World Financial Center Winter Garden. MIRROR PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY CARL GLASSMAN PHOTOS CONTINUE ON PAGE 26

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The towers rising from the World Trade Center site are mirrors of rebirth, their glass facades playing off each other and the buildings around them in surprising and sometimes wonderful ways.

TRANSCRIPT

THE TRIBECA TRIB SEPTEMBER 2012 25

MIRROR

T he towers rising from the World TradeCenter site are mirrors of rebirth, theirglass facades playing off each otherand the buildings around them in sur-prising and sometimes wonderful

ways. Surprising because the reflected imagery dis-played on these new structures—the six-year-old 7World Trade Center and the lofty 1 and 4 WorldTrade Center—is anything but static and pre-dictable. Where we stand and the time of day westand there, the weather and the season, too, canmake all the difference in this gallery of infiniteabstractions.

The variety of visual experiences will only be -come richer when the other planned buildings—World Trade Center 2 and 3—finally rise and growglass skins of their own.

Walking by the site these days, I nearly alwayslook for something new that one tower or anotherhas to offer. I’ve also had the good fortune toobserve and photograph (with a telephoto lens) thebuildings from high up in one or another of theother structures, allowing even more possibilities.

Seen from the 48th floor of 7 World TradeCenter, for example, a much distorted Tribecacomes into view on one face of 1 World TradeCenter; towers to the east can be seen on another.The Millenium Hotel provides an impressionisticview of uptown and clouds in the late afternoonsky, but only from high up in 4 World Trade Center.(See the photos on pages 26 and 27.)

Carol Willis, the director of the SkyscraperMuseum, notes that we can enjoy the surfaces ofthese magnificent curtain walls much as we wouldtheir architectural forbears.

“It’s the same as if you are looking at a beautifulbuilding of foot-thick limestone from the 1800s orthe Amiens Cathedral,” she says. “The way a mate-rial catches and plays with light is one of the endur-ing qualities of architecture across the ages.”

For more photographs and additional informa-tion on this project, go to mirroredrisings.com.

Reflections on the World Trade Center Site

4 World Trade, the south side, reflecting 115 Broadway.7 World Trade, at left, reflecting the Goldman Sachs building, on right.

4 World Trade Center, reflecting buildings to the south. Photographed from theWorld Financial Center Winter Garden.

MIRRORPHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY CARL GLASSMAN

PHOTOS CONTINUE ON PAGE 26