Building Design of Twin Tower Explosion going up in South Korea

[StylinRed]

The Dutch designers of a pair of South Korean skyscrapers were facing criticism after claims the buildings look like the burning World Trade Center. Picture: Courtesy of MVRDV

A SOUTH Korean developer says it will not alter the design of a twin-tower project despite complaints in the United States that it mimics the explosions at New York's World Trade Centre in 2001.

The towers, one with 54 floors and the other with 60, are designed by Dutch architects MVRDV and will be built at the entrance to Seoul’s redeveloped Yongsan business district by 2016.

The towers will be connected midway up by a cloud-shaped bridging section that will house amenities including sky lounges, a swimming pool and restaurants.

But families of victims of the 9/11 attacks see a marked resemblance between the project known as The Cloud and the clouds of debris that billowed from the World Trade Centre after hijacked airliners ploughed into the towers.

"Allegations that it [the design] was inspired by the 9/11 attacks are groundless," said White Paik, spokesman for the Yongsan Development Corporation.

"There will be no revision or change in our project," he said, adding that construction would begin in January 2013 as scheduled.

MVRDV said it "regrets deeply" any painful connotations.

"It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process," it said in a statement on its website.

"We sincerely apologise to anyone whose feelings we have hurt," it added.

Jim Riches, a retired New York deputy fire chief whose son was killed on 9/11, said he did not believe the architects.

"It looks just like the towers imploding," the New York Daily News quoted him as saying. "I think they’re trying to sensationalise it. It’s a cheap way to get publicity.”

Read more: Skyscraper design looks like Twin Towers collapsing | News.com.au

just saw it on cnn a few viewers say they can't even see the resemblance and others on the street of NY say it looks nice and they should go for it
an architect that was asked said its simply a tactic to build a name for themselves (the dutch architects) as the design business is a tough one

[CP.AR]

dang, i would hate to live/work in that middle part....
maybe that's just me

[bengy]

Americans should worry about shit in their own country

[t8v6]

Originally Posted by Amuro Ray

dang, i would hate to live/work in that middle part....
maybe that's just me

yea rather live on the higher floors. looks like you might get a frontyard/ backyard though...for those who prefer to have them lol.

[Brianrietta]

Gizmodo was talking about it a week ago: What the Hell Were These Architects Thinking?

I'll expand on my thoughts on it from here.

I liked the humourous comment from under that article:

And yet the Gizmodo editors did not seem outraged when they ran a story on this new building that clearly looked like the 2004 Tsunami that killed a few hundred thousand people and was far more devastating than 9/11.

The thing I thought of first was that they took the Montreal Expo 67 habitat buildings and stuck them inbetween two towers.



Not going to lie, I think both the new tower and the expo habitat are ugly as sin but I respect the fact that they're making something unique. I don't hate it as much in that nighttime rendering but from below, during the day I don't think it looks nearly as sharp. The fact is that skyscrapers aren't just scraping the sky anymore, they're pushing up and through the clouds - and that's obviously what the design was meant to emulate.

Jim Riches, a retired New York deputy fire chief whose son was killed on 9/11, said he did not believe the architects.

"It looks just like the towers imploding," the New York Daily News quoted him as saying. "I think they’re trying to sensationalise it. It’s a cheap way to get publicity.”

Pot calling the kettle black. Seriously, anybody who's upset about this building for 9/11's sake needs to let go and stop looking for association with it in everything. Reminds me of the protests when the Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers came out and people thought that it was named that way to attract more viewers, and those that realized it was the name of the book still felt that it was insensitive to put out the film. Retarded.

[taylor192]

The rest of the world does not attach the same significance to the twin towers as we do. Its a shame what happened, yet life goes on.

[StylinRed]

Originally Posted by taylor192

The rest of the world does not attach the same significance to the twin towers as americans do. Its a shame what happened, yet life goes on.

fixed/agreed

[teekaywok]

this reminds me of minecraft

[PiuYi]

i like it. i think it resembles a cloud more than anything

looks like a skyscraper that's gone right through the clouds and you get to work/live right in the cloud

[Grandmaster TSE]

it looks nice

people have to deal with it, its nothing to do with the twin towers

[mb_]

Looks cool. Didn't even see the resemblance till I read the article/thread title.

[FerrariEnzo]

is it even safe, that middle part where it joins??

[Majestic12]

People are stupid. Stop getting butthurt about pointless shit.

[jribchester8]

the design for those buildings are so cool, but seem so impractical. i wonder if the rooms that appear to be hanging are worth more or less ??

[Jegz]

great place to fall to your doom

[twitchyzero]

saw this few days ago...from the pics in gizmodo it definitely ressembles the WTC after the blow by he planes...still i dont think people should get up in arms about it though.

But most people will be viewing it looking up from ground level. And I'm afraid from that angle it's very reminiscent of the images and events that were seen around the entire world that day.

definitely a cool design.

[ToneCapone]

definitely a cool design, I don't care about the WTC crap, but there is something scary about the blocks on the edges. I'm not even afraid of heights its just freeeaakkyy.... Especially the one that has nothing below or above it.

[AzNightmare]

While far away, I can kind of see it.
But up close, doesn't really look anything like it.

[Ax2-Y]

a. twin towers were the same height
b. each tower got hit in different locations
c. they didnt explode at the same time to create a cloud like that.

if the people from Afghanistan and Iraq complained every time we built a building that looked like the ones the americans have blown up, no one would be allowed to build a tool shed in their backyard

[Soundy]

Jim Riches, a retired New York deputy fire chief whose son was killed on 9/11, said he did not believe the architects.

"It looks just like the towers imploding," the New York Daily News quoted him as saying. "I think they’re trying to sensationalise it. It’s a cheap way to get publicity.”

Well congratulations, shithead - you're happily giving it to them.

[shawn79]

koreans just mocking the americans

[fliptuner]

Imagine if those cantilevered units had see through floors?

[taylor192]

From the ground it does look more like an explosion with how the "cloud" protrudes more in one direction. I think if they made the cloud bigger and more symmetrical around the building it would look better too.

[V4NC1TY]

yeah but on a serious note, they should really worry about shit in their own country

[2 n r]

back story aside, thats a cool design