Constructing the Skyline

The image of the skyline is an important way of understanding the city as a whole. Our project grafts itself onto the existing cityscape and reintroduces the pyramidal profile that has always been identified with Lower Manhattan. Breaking down of the building mass into discreet elements, and termination of the towers at varying irregular heights, allow the project to simultaneously read as a single entity and as part of the continuum of urban fabric.

Scale

Manhattan - and Lower Manhattan in particular - is characterized by radical juxtaposition of scales. It is one of the aspects of the urban fabric that makes the experience of being in New York so unique and exciting. The project exploits this condition, for example, by scaling one of its four towers to the height of the steeples of Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel.

Transportation Links and Circulation

The project links the consolidated train and subway station with bus, taxi and ferry lines, providing a major transportation hub for downtown and bringing a substantial population directly to the site.

Primary horizontal circulation through the site reinforces the east­west link between Downtown and Hudson River, taking advantage of the existing Wintergarden to incorporate the World Financial Center. Additional horizontal links are introduced at sky-lobby levels, which also provide increased safety through redundant exiting.

24-Hour Use Cycle

Multifunctionality is a prerequisite for a vibrant 24-hour urban life. The flexible mix of uses the project proposes will guarantee such continuous activity.