Tower envy?

According to SFGate.com, a jury has recommended that a tower and terminal design by Pelli Clarke Pelli over designs by Rogers-Forest City and Skidmore Owings Merrill. It's a good solid design, a simple tapering tower that will be the tallest building on the west Coast (taller than the Empire State Building). But in spite of the height it was really the safe design. At least they had a competition, and it's certainly better than the Freedom Tower, but man, it is sad! the Skidmore Owings Merril building (and leave us not forget that they are a local firm) was beautiful! It is one of the best tower designs I've seen outside of Asia. I mean, beautiful. Ther terminal section evoked both gothic gathedrals and Grand Central Station (at least to this untrained eye), while the curving girders of the exterior from one angle recall gotic arches and from another the trees of some tolkinean forest. Check out the renderings of all three designs. I mean, the tower they chose won't be bad but, like th new bay bridge, they passed up something so much better (and why a foot bridge in Chico should be the best new bridge in California in fifty years is another story).

I think I'll write a letter. You should too.