Libeskind/My Memorial Not Compatible - Debate On Memorial

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

Where is the line at healthy debate versus disrepect? A debate assumes defeat of the opponents opinion, sometimes because that is what's required and sometimes it is because of deep belief. I'm of the latter.
Gilbert

[dbhstockton]

Healthy discussion, not debate. *My goal when I come to this forum is not "defeat of the opponents opinion." *It is to inform and be informed. *There is a place here for rhetoric and persuasion, but your scorched-earth philosophy doesn't do anyone any good.

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

DBH,
On this board I have read of people being called NIMBY's as a pejorative, as well as people being suggested for psychiatric therapy because they don't agree with commercial development. If that puts me at odds with these cowards in a scorched-earth philosophy, then email the Webmaster here and block my access to this site. Otherwise, I'm going to keep vocalizing my opinion,
Gilbert

[TAFisher123]

Quote: from Gilbert Gjersvik on 8:25 pm on Feb. 27, 2003
JM,
Mr. Libeskind has pontificated on the grand meaning of the 'bathtub' as a memorial as well as the profundity of having a building 1776 feet tall. Personally I think the guy is a putz! But that's my personal opinion ,though I'll stand by it and put my name to it (unlike most of the cowards on these message boards!).
Gilbert Gjersvik
Upper East Side

Yea, hes made this comment on other posts to others that disagree with him....i think he thinks we care his name is gil gerjavik and he is from the east side

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

Dear Fisher,
As I always say, if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen. Fire away you idiot!
Gilbert Gjersvik
Upper East Side

[dbhstockton]

Oh boy.

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

Dear DBH,
In person I'm actually quite nice.
GG

[JMGarcia]

I don't see the 1776 foot figure as having anything to do with the memorial for those who died. It is symbolic for sure but not for the deaths that occurred.

There is bound to be a conflict about setting the tone for the site between someone doing the memorial and someone doing the architecture. It is very hard to separate the two unless the memorial is something small like the Vietnam Memorial. That could go with just about anything.

Furthermore, I don't see that just because there is symbolism in the site that it necessarily must detract from whatever the memorial to those who died becomes.

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

JM,
My personal opinion from following the entire discourse on the development at the site from both outside observers including the media and from the architects like Libeskind, who is now basking in a quite temporary limelight, is that this is all about ego. The designs put forth have nothing to do with anything but these jerks preening to the media and trying to get future building contracts. If these idiots were so concerned with New York's commercial viability, why don't they try to fill the empty office space that alread exists??? Of course they have no interest in that because that would require work, not ego masturbation!
GG

[JMGarcia]

Maybe, maybe not.

Back to the point though. I don't understand why 4.3 empty acres including the footprints makes Libeskind's design incompatible with you memorial design.

Is it because you feel the entire site must be a blank slate for it to work?

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

Dear JM,
At the end of the day (a lousy expression but one I'll use in this case) the problem is that the cart has been pulled in front of the horse. The LMDC has made itself irrelevant by not understanding this, and in the next weeks and months its staff will rightfully be whittled down to a bunch of secretaries. To bring in a referrence that might be inappropriate: remember the scene in Poltergeist where the family learns that their condominium complex was built on an Indian burial ground that was relocated? There was a visceral understanding in the audience of why that was wrong. It is the same thing here, there is something very important and powerful that can't be touched at this site, and to plan it like the latest shopping mall is complete disrespect and unacceptable.
GG

[JMGarcia]

You still haven't answered my question. You may think it is wrong to build anywhere on the site (this is what you seem to be saying).

Is the incompatibility you see being practical concerns, aesthetic concerns, or is it the theoretical concern that there should be nothing but a memorial?

[Gilbert Gjersvik]

JM,
My anger is at the process which seems backwards and not organic to what needs to be done. What has been derived from this process so far is a Baccarat window display and a pontificating architecht who's ready to move to New York to bask in his new found glory. *I think he's in for a rude awakening.
GG *

[JMGarcia]

So, then you think your design is incompatible because it (the memorial) should have been decide upon first and then everything else should have been designed around that rather than the site being designed with a blank space for the memorial?

From the outside looking in it seems like a chicken or the egg type situation.

[Edward]

Gilbert Gjersvik, you seem to be misinformed about the policy on forum member names. Let me enlighten you. Almost any combination of words can be used as a nickname, and using a real name is not required. Posting to the forum is not the same as writing a letter to the editor of New York Times.

In this electronic world it is impossible to confirm someone's identity. For example, there is a possibility that your real name is not Gilbert Gjersvik, and that you are not from the Upper East Side! You might have hijacked his good name and are trying to discredit it by making these silly posts to message boards.

Now, Gilbert, if that's your real name, I would ask you to be civil on this forum and do not insult other members. Otherwise you will be know here as Banned Member from Upper East Side.