NY 10048 presents a new infill for Ground Zero in New York. At its core is the design for two 'new' towers which, in accordance with the wishes of New Yorkers, repair the gap in the skyline following the destruction of the 'old' ones. Further, my response provides open space, a much-needed commodity in Lower Manhattan. Lastly, research has proved beyond doubt that this place is best served by a varied, multifunctional design.

Armed with these frames of reference, I developed a new high-rise type in which a structural 'sheath' containing all infrastructure encloses each freely subdivisible floor area. Large office floors, dwellings and hotel rooms can be accommodated by appropriate versions of this strategy, and even public functions are no longer condemned to the street-level 'plinth'. Stair towers and lift and service shafts are arranged at 6.4 metre intervals throughout the sheathes, separated from each other by glass screens. This gives a transparent zone that lets in sufficient light and ensures views out. Large atria enhance the spatial quality of the interior and contribute to the towers' natural ventilation.

Each of the towers has three sky lobbies connected to the ground plane by double express lifts. These lobbies are separated by some 32 storeys, two of which do duty as technical areas. Smaller, single local lifts access 15 storeys above and 15 below the lobbies. Linking the towers at sky lobby level creates 'raised ground planes' with the same wealth of mutually supportive public functions as at street level. Again like the street, these areas can become vibrant, dynamic zones where people like to spend time. The plinth levels are also public and constructed as a vertical landscape. An internal 'street' leads through this landscape, linking all indoor functions much as a regular street does in the urban landscape. The functions and facilities on the higher-lying public levels can be slung freely in space with their own design, material form and lighting. This triggers a game played with 'buildings', views through, plazas, terraces, stairs and escalators and ramps. The facilities layer by contrast is decidedly neutral. Anodized aluminium and clear glass clad the structure, contrasting with the diversity in the interior. With the variation in volumes and activities permanently visible through the facilities sheath, the building's interior exhibits a veritable 'stack' of skylines. This in combination with the visible toing and froing of the lifts between sky lobbies forges firmer relationships between these regions and the ground plane. The veil of infrastructure provides some impressive layering as well as keeping the towers simple.

Place of education: AvB Tilburg
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Pnina Avidar, Martien Jansen, Marco Vermeulen