Nearly three years after the September 11 attacks, the foundations have been laid for a new skyscraper at the World Trade Centre site in New York. The cornerstone was, fittingly, dedicated to the nearly 2,800 people who died when the twin towers collapsed.

The hijackings that ended with the tragedy in New York and two other plane crashes that day shocked the world with their precision and murderous intent. They also brought an end to global complacency about the threat posed by loosely organised but determined terror networks operating across national borders. The start of construction on the 70-storey Freedom Tower marks another milestone in the city's recovery. But almost everything else about it - from the high-security design to the defiant tone of the groundbreaking ceremony - reflects the complex realities of the post-September 11 world.

When the building is finished in just over four years it will be, however briefly, the tallest in the world. The twisted metal rising from its rooftop is meant to echo the shape of the torch atop the Statue of Liberty. Its height - 1776 feet - represents the year of America's independence. Government officials, project architects and the developer all insist that the skyscraper will stand for democracy, freedom and other vaunted American values. Nearby will be a memorial that includes reflecting pools built on top of the footprints created by the original twin towers. For the residents of New York, the site will have to serve a commercial, civic and symbolic purpose. The city and the country have every right to be proud of the heroism demonstrated during the attacks and the resilience that has followed. At the same time, the aspirational architecture of Freedom Tower and the surrounding memorials will ring hollow unless the ideals are translated into action.