Lord Foster, the renowned British architect, was in midtown Manhattan when the first reports came in that the World Trade Center was under attack. Foster was presenting his plans for a gleaming new steel and glass office tower to his clients - executives of the Hearst publishing company - but on hearing the news he naturally cut it short. He and Frank Bennack, then Hearst’s chief executive, retreated to a boardroom to watch the catastrophe unfold on television. Foster, unable to disregard his architect’s training, explained to Bennack what was happening to the structures as they weakened and collapsed.
In the mournful, confusing weeks that followed, Bennack and Foster were consumed with the question of whether to go ahead with their project. Had the world just witnessed the end of the skyscraper era? What kind of message would it send to build a big, bold office tower in Manhattan? Could New York spare the manpower to build their project, or would the city’s construction crews be needed for the colossal job of rebuilding lower Manhattan?
