MVRDV designs a public relations nightmare

In probably the most salient example of the divide between the architectural profession and the general public, MVRDV had it's public reputation skewered last week when it's proposed design for two towers in the Yongsan business district of South Korea was compared to the destruction of the World Trade Center:


Quite possibly the most disheartening part of this debacle is that MVRDV is widely considered to be among the architectural profession's most research-oriented and most intelligent design firms. There is practically no positive spin for MVRDV; either they intentionally designed their Cloud towers after the Twin Towers and completely miscalculated the public reaction, or (as they claim) they never noticed the relation and appear either negligent or blind. Either way, they do not come off as intelligent designers. Which is a shame, because they have a large body of work which says otherwise. Even the cloud rendering that MVRDV presented as their inspiration looks eerily reminiscent of the Twin Towers under attack, which begs the question: How did they not see it? How is it that the general public instantly recognizes the relationship, but in 3 months of design they do not? A scan through argumentative comments on MVRDV's facebook page further illustrates the disconnect between designers and the general public. One would hope their reputation is not permanently damaged, although one also wonders, will they continue with the proposed design?

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