Wednesday, February 12, 2014

One World Trade Center

There have been numerous events in U.S. history that have become unforgettable. The most recent, and most known, is the attacks of September 11, 2001. Almost 13 years have passed by and this event still seems as it happened yesterday, but this does not mean that the country as a whole has not began to move forward. The greatest example of how we as a country are overcoming this tragic event is the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York. This major project is not just an architectural marvel throughout its 7 different buildings and the 9/11 memorial, but, it is also a symbol of strength and revival to the entire country.

Out of these 7 buildings, the main building is known as the One World Trade Center which I will focus on today. 

The One World Trade Center, previously known as The Freedom Tower, is the center point of the World Trade Center renovation project. The tower was designed to measure 1,776 feet from the ground up to its highest point, the spire, as an allusion to the year in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. This makes it the tallest tower in the country, overtaking the Empire State Building by 526 feet, and the existing Twin Towers by 408 feet. The One World Trade Center also has 104 stories, all covered with over 2,000 pieces of glass. The building also has an unique design compared to the rest of the buildings in New York, allowing it to stand out as a beautiful new addition to the view of the city. The head architect, David Childs, designed two buildings in the World Trade Center project; the 1WTC along with the 7 WTC, which opened back in 2006. His design included the square base of the building, which then divides in to a hexagon-like shape as the structure goes up with slanted glass walls. This design, although beautiful at sight, has been criticized and believed to be the reason why ice slides from the sides, falling on to the floor potentially injuring visitors. 

The building is yet to be completed, but expected to be completed this year. Apart from being a beautiful sight to look at, once it is completed it will encourage many who are still devastated from the attacks of 9/11 on to overcoming such horrible events, and move forward. 

1 comment:

  1. When you mention ice slides, do you mean icicles falling from those angles? How many people have been hurt? This sounds frightening, as I have heard stories of icicles lethally impaling people ...

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