You know, Robert, I think you have something there.

Rebuilding the Reichstag in a different design was important because it represented a fundamental change in the government contained in the building. It was an opportunity for the architect, but also a public statement in line with what the people needed to do.

What NYC will do is mourn and pick up where it left off. It's a magnificent and dynamic city. It doesn't take its marching orders from foreign criminals. It only listens to its own. ;)

It took a long, long time for New Yorkers to become used to the Twin Towers. The affection was there, though, finally. If they want them back, that option should be presented as well.

Ultimately, it will be up to the owners.

Except for Peterson/Littenberg, not a single one of the designs integrates into the Manhattan skyline. (P/L at least pays homage to the "traditional" look of Manhattan skyscrapers, though, ironically, in a way that the WTC never did.) They are Unsightly, Gargantuan, Lugubrious, Yobbish designs. That's right: U.G.L.Y. The Gigantic Picket Fence and the Vertical Greenhouse especially, but with special mention to the White Tank Farm.

Political statements aside, I don't want to look at a Klingon skyline.

If I'm scarce in these parts, don't take it personal. I have cookies and cheesecakes and stuff like that to bake. Happy Holidays, folks.

Best regards--
Mary Anne