MetaFilter World Trade Center Design Contest

January 21, 2002 12:03 PM

This thread is for the discussion of the suggested MetaFilter World Trade Center Design Contest (I'm not even going to attempt an acronym for that one)

Please comment and criticize away. Particulars that need discussion include: how to enter? how to judge? etc.
posted by Ptrin to MetaFilter-Related at 12:03 PM (14 comments total)

Do we have to make it a contest? Everyone who'd like to propose a design could post theirs somewhere (I'm assuming we all have access to some Web space somewhere), link from a common thread (this one?), and we could have a (hopefully) nice discussion about them.


posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:18 PM on January 21, 2002

Yes, it must be a contest. It must. It is the only way.


As a discussion, it would certainly appeal more to design amateurs who aren't quite prepared to see their poorly-rendered ideas stacked up against the k10k crowd. This inclusiveness comes at the cost of a general coherence/organization to the entries however; the advantage of a contest is that there will be a final three designs, or whatever, which will have the participants' stamp of approval, for easier meme propagation. I don't know that much would be lost in presenting it in competition-form, so long as there were fora for discussion. There is the risk of elitism though, I suppose, and people getting too worked up...
posted by Marquis at 1:03 PM on January 21, 2002

Well, then, the great debate begins: design or contest? In the mean time, feel free to design your rear off, and post links to your work.
posted by Ptrin at 1:07 PM on January 21, 2002

As a discussion, it would certainly appeal more to design amateurs who aren't quite prepared to see their poorly-rendered ideas stacked up against the k10k crowd.

geez, then do it at k10k. I wouldn't mind seeing some amatuer work. In the end the blue ribbon will be given to some "design for the sake of design" monstrosity that probably couldn't bear its load anyway. Why k10? Lets only allow architects. Or possibly just architectural engineers.
posted by skallas at 1:19 PM on January 21, 2002

Mefi'ers designing the WTC...will the new Windows on the World be replaced by an IHOP?
posted by adampsyche at 2:15 PM on January 21, 2002

adampsyche - made me laugh for the first time today. Thank you sirrah.
posted by kokogiak at 2:24 PM on January 21, 2002

Great, adampsyche, thanks a lot.

*furious erasing*

Now what I am supposed to enter in the contest?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:23 PM on January 21, 2002

Yep, and the other tower's going to have a rabbit-hutch on the roof.
posted by SpecialK at 3:30 PM on January 21, 2002

does anybody have a 3d file of manhattan lying around (dxf,dwg,3ds or something)?
posted by signal at 3:44 PM on January 21, 2002

Jeez, I was gonna enter until I came in here and saw signal asking for a 3D file of Manhattan. Now I feel fit only to print this out for my mommy's fridge.
posted by headspace at 4:27 PM on January 21, 2002

Can designs or ideas about what should replace the towers but not include towers be included?
posted by fncll at 7:41 PM on January 21, 2002

You and me both, headspace.

I started with this picture and after a couple of hours of doodling I ended up settling on this one as a starting point. I'm a sucker for the huge, imposing structures. Plus I like the pyramidal(?) influence.

Nonetheless, if I have to pull out my old Autocad disks and relearn how to use it in order to be in the contest, I will, even though I'm not a part of the "k10k crowd", whatever that is.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:42 PM on January 21, 2002

still haven't got my hands on an actual model, but this is kind of interesting
posted by signal at 11:58 AM on January 22, 2002

Of course, fncll. Certainly at this stage of the game, anything you feel like submitting may be submitted.
posted by Ptrin at 2:35 PM on January 23, 2002