Terrorism's Impact on Architecture

Security influences design of buildings and public spaces, just like in the Middle Ages.

1 minute read

March 6, 2007, 6:00 AM PST

"Four years after the American invasion of Iraq, this state of siege is beginning to look more and more like a permanent reality, exhibited in an architectural style we might refer to as 21st-century medievalism. Like their 13th- to 15th-century counterparts, contemporary architects are being enlisted to create not only major civic landmarks but lines of civic defense, with aesthetically pleasing features like elegantly sculpted barriers around public plazas or decorative cladding for bulky protective concrete walls." (Includes audio with architect Thom Mayne regarding the design of New York City's Freedom Tower and terrorism protection.)

FULL STORY: Medieval Modern: Design Strikes a Defensive Posture

Sunday, March 4, 2007 in The New York Times

Architecture New York

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