Larry Silverstein may not be particularly revered by the city’s architects, but that isn’t to say they’re not curious about what he’s built. So when The Architect’s Newspaper wrote to the developer asking to use 7 WTC for its second-anniversary party on November 18, Silverstein’s PR apparatchiks eagerly offered it the run of the 49th floor. “I think it’s important to him not to be seen as architecturally philistine,” says AN editor Cathy Lang Ho. David Childs was on hand, but the tone of the party belonged to the other architects kvelling at the views: Gordon Kipping, Hugh Hardy, Charles Renfro— even a delegation from Studio Daniel Libeskind. “The views are spectacular, if haunting,” said one guest. “The first thing I saw as I approached the north wall was an airplane.” Critic Michael Sorkin commandeered the mike to plead with Silverstein not to build another office building on sacred ground, and was followed by the AN publisher thanking the developer for the party space. The audience chuckled. Silverstein left early.

Next: Triple-X Scenes from a Mall

Related:

• Archive: “Intelligencer”
• Articles by Alec Appelbaum
• Table of Contents: Dec 5, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!