# Freedom Tower?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 29, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381 "2005-06-29T16:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/41 "2005-06-30T13:00:58Z")
> [@micahjn](#): > > “Freedom” is a dirty word now? “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/42 "2005-06-30T13:07:18Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > MY GOD IT"S A GIGANTIC HYPODERMIC NEEDLE!! :eek: (Looks up) Don’t tell **kytheria**! The best part of the new design? It’s “squarer.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/43 "2005-06-30T13:08:06Z")
> [@JeffB](#): > > “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” Wow. Who knew that Janis was a prophet? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/44 "2005-06-30T13:08:57Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Wow. Who knew that Janis was a prophet? Or Kris, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/45 "2005-06-30T13:09:39Z")
Hypodermic needle? Looks like a huge glass fountain pen to me. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/46 "2005-06-30T14:11:28Z")
> [@](#): > > …will rise from a base clad in shimmering metal chosen for beauty and blast-resistance… Well, no one can say they’re not planning ahead. Hmm. The new Fuck You Building…I mean Freedom Tower is marginally less hideous than the WTC, so I guess we could do worse if we absolutety must have another quarter-mile high structure weighing down lower Manhattan. Nobody ever seems to practice subtlety any more, though. They ought to call it the Terrorist World Headquarters building. They’d never touch it. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/47 "2005-06-30T14:18:19Z")
Since it’s replacing the **World Trade Center** or **WTC** , why not name the new one the **World Trade Tower** or **World Trade Building**? Not identical to WTC but it would pay a little respect to what was. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/48 "2005-06-30T14:26:18Z")
> [@micahjn](#): > > “Freedom” is a dirty word now? Keep repeating it in every speech and use it to justify just about anything… and it becomes dirty… or at least worn out and hollow. The tower seem nice… even if its a new target. The name only sucks badly. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/49 "2005-06-30T14:49:41Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Since it’s replacing the **World Trade Center** or **WTC** , > > why not name the new one the **World Trade Tower** or **World Trade Building**? > > Not identical to WTC but it would pay a little respect to what was. Frankly because that would make too much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/50 "2005-06-30T16:11:13Z")
I like the design. The name? Meh. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/51 "2005-06-30T16:35:44Z")
Wasn’t it to be called Freedom Tower from the day the design was announced, over 18 months ago? And you’re just getting around to bitching about the name now? Slow day at the office? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/52 "2005-06-30T17:06:40Z")
How about: The new and improved World Trade Center! Now with more blast resistance! ---
**Author:** ![flood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@flood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flood)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/53 "2005-06-30T19:22:37Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > How about: > > The new and improved World Trade Center! Now with more blast resistance! And Vitamin C, with no added sodium! ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/54 "2005-06-30T21:46:58Z")
So the old design gets vetoed for being unsafe. How do we fix the problem? Simple: stick the thing on top of a goddamn 200-foot tall concrete cube. That’s not just sacrificing aesthetics to security: that’s laziness. I can’t believe no one else is complaining about the (ugly, ugly) base. FWIW, the [Times’ architecture critic](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/arts/30appraisal.html?) trashed the design. Granted, that guy hates everything. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/55 "2005-06-30T22:11:32Z")
I personally don’t like the idea of copying an existing structure, namely the Statue of Liberty. It’s “Goodbye English Rose” all over again! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/56 "2005-07-01T00:49:52Z")
> [@JeffB](#): > > “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” “Freedom? That’s just some people talkin’.” ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/57 "2005-07-01T03:22:08Z")
I for one am a fan of the new design. It’s _much_ better than the first designs they had for the Freedom Tower. (Ugh, I do hate the name, though. I can only hope this is just a code-name and they change it to something else before it opens.) I don’t see why everyone is so opposed to the square-ish design. I thought the imposing monolithic quality of the original towers was really cool, and I think the new design has just the right amount of flair to be interesting without being a convoluted origami shape like the original concept. Apparently they’re going to put a spotlight on top that will shine directly upwards into the night sky. Cool! Ever since I saw the Luxor I’ve been a huge fan of those sky lights. Last time I was in Vegas I was staring into the sky at the Luxor light and I got a little dizzy from acrophobia, and I mean that in a good way. The windowless concrete base is a terrible idea, though, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/58 "2005-07-01T03:42:26Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > FWIW, the [Times’ architecture critic](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/arts/30appraisal.html?) trashed the design. Granted, that guy hates everything. I know nothing about architecture, but I thought he had some good points. The airyness, or even eerieness, of the original design was one of its strong points. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/59 "2005-07-01T04:23:03Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Wasn’t it to be called Freedom Tower from the day the design was announced, over 18 months ago? > > And you’re just getting around to bitching about the name now? Slow day at the office? 😃 Well the word “Freedom” wasn’t hadn’t become synonymous with Bush babble yet… so things have changed ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381/60 "2005-07-01T05:52:08Z")
> [@Rashak Mani](#): > > Well the word “Freedom” wasn’t hadn’t become synonymous with Bush babble yet… so things have changed Hadn’t it? I thought it had become part of every one of his speeches by the end of 2001. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freedom-tower/310381.md?page=4)