Resurgent Twin Towers overlooking the Garden of Inspiration memorial are the result of years of collaborative effort dedicated to the memory of those who perished on September 11, 2001, to those who survived, and to those who relentlessly worked to heal our broken spirits.
The goal of Kenneth Gardner and the late Herbert Belton was to create a design that would return economic viability to the World Trade Center site, while healing the American family. In the years since their plan gained worldwide attention following Donald Trump's endorsement, and after the passing of Herbert Belton at the end of 2005, Mr. Gardner has continued to refine the details and the worthiness of the project. In that time he has also enjoyed strong support from people who lost members of their families on 9/11, as well as the acclaim of the public at large.
Subsequent to literally hundreds of hours studying the original World Trade Center design, the two men concluded that the appropriate solution for rebuilding would be to design facade-based memorials of the original Twin Towers. Their plan employs all of the latest technologies in skyscraper design and restores the skyline to its former glory with the familiar landmark silhouettes.
Building new advanced versions of the Twin Towers would not only provide a powerful remedy in healing this country so deeply hurt by the 9/11 tragedy, but the Towers themselves would become one of the most successful developments and tourist attractions in the world. There is nothing to suggest that the current design could ever hope to enjoy a similar success.
The current WTC development is at a critical stage — ready to surge forward, but not too far gone to change course. The process might be slow at first, but would quickly make up for lost time. This is an opportunity for members of the building community to make a difference in the lives of Americans and indeed the world. We sincerely believe that embracing the Twin Towers II vision is the best way to rebuild our nation's will and common purpose, while providing future generations of Americans with a lasting icon that reflects on the tragic events with honor and dignity.
The original towers were not popular with everyone when they were first built, but they became one of the great symbols of this country over time. The Twin Towers symbolized important values — exuberance, cooperation, optimism, striving — and always will. By restoring our skyline with the modern Twin Towers II design, the new towers would stand as the ultimate symbol of the resilience of our great nation.
In Europe after World War II many landmark structures were rebuilt. That is how a country and civilization preserves its rich history. America will not have this deep sense of time if we do not protect and preserve the symbols of who we are and what we stand for.
Ken Gardner, a fan of change and technology, is also a student of history and a preservationist. He is convinced that to allow the image of these icons to vanish into memory, never to be seen by future generations, would be to erase a part of what makes us American. Why would we do that?
About the Designers of the Twin Towers II Plan
Kenneth L. Gardner, a graduate of Rutgers College of Engineering specializing in structural design, worked on various design projects with the late Herbert Belton, A.I.A. For more than 20 years, Mr. Gardner has built design and marketing models of some of the most prominent construction projects in New York and New Jersey, including The Trump Organization, The Related Companies, and The Macklowe Organization.
Herbert Belton was a junior architect at Emery Roth & Sons on the original World Trade Center site. Later in his career, Mr. Belton was a project manager at New Jersey Bell, manager of design and construction at AT&T, and worked for Johnson Jones Architects in Princeton, N.J. He was licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Mr. Belton died on November 29, 2005.
