Archigossip?

OK, I don't know if there's an interesting story behind this, and I don't know how to find out, but I wonder how it is that David Childs, who usurped Danny Liebskind's role at Ground Zero, has usurped his colleague's role in a major development just south of the UN complex in Manhattan.

Since the article will disappear behind the paywall in a few days, I'll excerpt a chunk:

Although the design jury selected Henry N. Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Marilyn Jordan Taylor of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as the winners, Mr. Solow chose to eliminate Mr. Cobb from the project. "I felt there was too much difference in what Skidmore and Cobb had in mind," he said.

Mr. Childs, the architect for the redesigned Freedom Tower at ground zero and the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, has taken the lead on the project for his firm. [emphasis added]

I realize that Childs is SOM's big star - such as he is; he's mostly a decent architect, politically connected - but it smells to high heaven that a (female) colleague of his won an international design commission, then is eased out in his favor.

PS - On a separate note, the yahoos at the Times' website hotlinked Ms. Taylor's middle (maiden?) name to a search of the Times for "Jordan." Dumbasses.