need to mention that a few weeks or a month or so, ago
i mentioned the parking ramp as a typology that could
be related to Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim museum
design. i forget the context. only that it was based
on typology and comparing the two, parking ramp/museum.
get this: i just realized the snoehetta cultural museum
is identical to a parking ramp in structure, see it at:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/25/nyregion/ 25rebuild2_lg.jpg
wow. what an architecture statement. i can't believe it.
the greatest meaning of the building is that it shares
its shares its form with a parking ramp. that's the
totality of architectural meaning- what symbolism! a
museum/parking ramp overlooking two parking lot voids,
in a corporate landscape of trees and grid walkways.
THE CULTURAL CENTER
"Rising Above" (must be read to be believed...)
http://www.snoarc.no/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1110
'The World Trade Center site carries with it the weight of its history and the hope for the future. Rising above this hallowed ground, the new Cultural Center presents a new sense of vitality in honor of those that have perished or been affected by the disasters of the past here. With this in mind we at Snøhetta strive toward a design that infuses with its surroundings, one that seems inevitable with its surroundings and its context...' ... 'As the body of the building rises upward; a protected outdoor plaza is formed beneath it. The open space underneath the building creates a spiritual window that frames perceptions to and from the Memorial and the city.'
'Intended to be intimately connected to street life,* the Center is organized horizontally, a tradition uncommon in New York City. It is efficiently designed to provide a unique low profile, respectful of the Memorial and a counterpoint to the otherwise dominant vertical backdrop of the downtown skyline. From its rooftop garden **, the Cultural Center will offer a unique perspective of the Memorial Plaza creating a place of contemplation, observation and confirmation.'
(* that's because it is a parking ramp! ** with an open roof!)