In Up from Zero, Paul Goldberger, winner of the Pulitzer
Prize, tells the inside story of the quest to rebuild one of
the most important symbolic sites in the world, the sixteen
acres where the towers of the former World Trade Center
stood. A story of power, politics, architecture, community,
and culture, Up from Zero takes us inside the controversial
struggle to create and build one of the most challenging
urban-design projects in history.What should replace the
fallen towers? Who had the courage and vision to rise to the
task of rebuilding? Who had the right, finally, to decide?
The struggle began soon after September 11, 2001, as titanic
egos took sides, made demands, and jockeyed for power.
Lawyers, developers, grieving families, local residents,
politicians, artists, and architects all had fierce needs,
radically different ideas, strong emotions, and boundless
determination. How could conflicting interests be resolved?
After hundreds of hours of often rancorous meetings, the
first sets of plans were finally revealed in the summer of
2002–and the results were staggeringly disappointing.Yet, as
Goldberger shows, the rebuilding process recovered and began
to flourish. Rather than degenerating into turf wars, it
evolved in ways that no one could have predicted. From the
decision to reintegrate the site into the dense fabric of
lower Manhattan, to the choice of Daniel Libeskind as master
planner, to the appointment of a memorial jury, the process
has been marked by moments of bold vision, effective
community activism, and personal instinct, punctuating the
often contentious politics of public participation.Up from
Zero takes in the full sweep of this tremendous effort.
Goldberger presents a drama of creative minds at work,
solving seemingly insurmountable clashes of taste,
interests, and ideas. With unique access to the players and
the process, and with a sophisticated understanding of
architecture and its impact on people and on the social and
cultural life of a city, Paul Goldberger here chronicles the
courage, the sacrifices, and the burning passions at the
heart of one of the greatest efforts of urban revitalization
in modern times.From the Hardcover edition.
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