Skyscraper museum to open world trade center exhibit.

As director of the Skyscraper Museum, Carol Willis doggedly promotes and preserves the concept of skyscrapers, something that has been rapidly changing since Sept. 11.

She was at work on an exhibit about the World Trade Center prior to its destruction. An exhibit that would have garnered some interest will now have global appeal, for all of the wrong reasons.

"The whole world is concerned with the topic of skyscrapers," said Willis, who admitted that "reporters worldwide" have been contacting her on the topic.

There's no question that skyscrapers--that is, the future of these epic buildings--is under scrutiny.

Here in New York City, where the modern skyscraper was born, several developers are pushing forward with their high buildings. But the events of Sept. 11 may have deflated the ego that went into these buildings and made them awe-inspiring.

Before the attacks, these structures represented ambition taken to a vast extreme, and gazing at one or from one was an exercise in humility.

Willis acknowledges that the great skyscrapers of Manhattan were built by developers for economic reasons. There were aesthetics involved, to be sure, but it's money that drives these towers into the sky.

Unlike some academics who fail to see that commerce can and does produce art, Willis knows how vital the developers are, no matter what their motives may be.

Her background is art history, which led to an interest in architecture. Outside of skyscrapers, Willis is in love with cities, the urban environment that rears these structures.

She wrote a book called "Form Follows Finance," which sums up her realistic approach to the creation of skyscrapers.

"Our mission as a museum is to foster high-rise building in urban environments," said Willis, whose museum will move into permanent digs in Battery Park City come February.

Now her mission is also to tell the history of these buildings.

The Skyscraper Museum does this in myriad ways, most recently by honoring 12 outstanding renovations of commercial buildings.

The event took place in Lever House, which was one of the five honored buildings. A jury of architects and preservationists nominated the 12 buildings, which ranged from the Chrysler Building to the art deco 570 Lexington Ave. The top five were awarded at the event.

"We knew that Lever House would be everyone's first pick," said Willis.

RFR Realty is responsible for the extensive renovation here--they also own the Seagram Building not far from here.

"The Chrysler Building was a shoe-in. And 11 Madison with its marble quarry tunnels has such attention to detail," she said.

The five buildings that won top honors were Lever House, Chrysler Building, 111/115 Broadway, 770 Broadway and 11 Madison Ave.

These aren't buildings that come to mind as skyscrapers per se. But Willis said that her definition of a skyscraper doesn't rely on size alone. "You have to take into account the history of these buildings. The Woolworth Building was, at one point, the tallest building in the world," she said.

Willis is hopeful that anxiety over skyscraper development will subside with time.

"The jitters will pass soon. Those plans could have flown into anything," she said.