Last week MVRDV unveiled plans for “The Cloud” – two luxury condo towers in Seoul, South Korea joined by a pixelated “cloud” of protruding sections that bloom from the middle. Much to the surprise of MVRDV, the design has set off a media frenzy with hundreds of people claiming that the buildings were intentionally designed to evoke September 11 and the fall of the Twin Towers that once stood in New York City’s World Trade Center. MVRDV has released an official apology, but it will likely take much more than that for the crowds to quiet. What do you think – does the form of “The Cloud” resemble the explosion of the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks on New York City?
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I believe it would be less similar if there were three (or more) towers; maybe of varing heights.
it reminds me of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers but it’s a cool building. I loved it.
I did not see the similarity until it was pointed out, and even then I still don’t see it as being offensive.
I can understand how some may be made to feel uneasy by this, but to claim that it is a tasteless publicity stunt by a well celebrated architecture firm and to call them “al Qaeda lovers” is inappropriate and what is truly offensive out of all of this mess. There are many ways to see connections and offenses within various architectural works, but when should the perceived offenses of a few warrant a halt of progress in design and development? If this was a project being constructed in NYC I would say that in my opinion that it would be too soon and too close to too many who lost loved ones that day, but it’s being built nearly on the opposite side of the world. The only way that this project could continue to bother and stir up feelings of hurt and mourning requires the media’s involvement. Maybe they should lay off of a non-real issue?
Yes, the design reminds me of the Twin Towers. However, I am not offended.
Even if it does look like it, why should it matter? 9/11 belongs to the history, there is no point in dwelling on it. A project like that is pretty nice to show that people got over the whole thing.
However, I wonder if a design like that doesn’t obstruct the sunlight for the rooms at the bottom of the cloud…
At first I thought it was a cloud as in the tower is so tall there are clouds around it. I can see the resemblance to the twin towers but to say it was intentional is in my opinion delusional. Who on earth would want to evoke “that memory” in a tower people are going to be living in? No apology necessary except perhaps by those that see what they want to see. Yes emotions are still raw even 10 years on but common!
This is ridiculous why would someone want to design a building that resembles an explosion? People are just scared of different designs, probably what has kept our civilisation from advancing technologically and design wise.