Giuliani not impressed with World Trade Centre plans

Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani today criticised the new plans for the World Trade Centre site, saying the proposals failed to convey “the horrific nature of the attack that took place.”

Giuliani has advocated setting aside a large portion of the site for a memorial to honour the September 11 victims.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation last week released nine proposals for the 16 acre site. Four of the plans proposed creating skyscrapers even taller than the destroyed 110 storey Twin Towers. Each proposal includes a memorial.

“These designs put the cart before the horse,” Giuliani said. “The first thing any design there has to say to you is the significance of what happened, not the significance of the office or retail space.”

The plans for rebuilding the site and surrounding neighbourhood came from seven teams of architects from around the world. An intensive six-week review of the proposals will follow, with the final decision expected by January 31.

In US opinion polls, the ‘kissing towers’ design by British architect Lord Foster emerged as the winner.