I am neither an expert in architecture nor a New Yorker, so I could be wrong. But I'll bet the new designs for the ground zero site in lower Manhattan will be a hit. Browsing the slide shows for the designs this morning on the web, they literally took my breath away. And that's exactly what is needed for this place.

Both the New York Times and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation have good slide shows available. The NYT has a beautiful interactive presentation from each of the seven teams with audio explanation from representatives of the architects. (Go to the NYT article, located here, and click the "Interactive Feature: Envisioning Downtown.") The LMDC site, located here, has extensive background information and even more slides.

Click these links when you have some time. They take more than a moment to absorb - but they're worth it.

(A version of this entry will appear on the author's site Robbed by a Fountain Pen.)