Starchitects: The Next Generation

It is time for a changing of the guard. The naming of Joshua Prince-Ramus’ firm REX to replace Frank O. Gehry & Associates as the designer of the performing arts center at Ground Zero follows Bjarke Ingels Group’s takeover from Lord Foster of the tower for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation next door. It makes you forget the battles of the titans who once fought for the right to put their respective stamps on the site and then either didn’t get the nod or, when they did—like SOM, Daniel Libeskind, AIA; Fumihiko Maki, Hon. FAIA; and Santiago Calatrava, FAIA—failed utterly and at a great cost, both to the urban environment and to taxpayers.