On June 29, 2005, New York Governor George E. Pataki, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, developer Larry A. Silverstein, and architect David Childs released the revised design for the first office building to be rebuilt on the World Trade Center site called the Freedom Tower. At 1,776 feet, the Freedom Tower will “serve as an inspirational and enduring beacon in the New York City skyline,” according to the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. (LMDC). The revised design pays homage to classic New York skyscrapers while referencing the Statue of Library’s torch with its illuminated spire.
The building promises to provide an extraordinary level of life safety and security and will, in the words of the LMDC, will “further its distinction as a world-class model of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.”
Of the new design, Governor Pataki said, “Together we faced the challenge of redesigning the Freedom Tower and today we see the result is a better, safer, and prouder symbol of freedom for our skyline. This new design reflects a soaring tribute to freedom and a bedrock commitment to safety and security. The Freedom Tower will not only be a tremendous icon, it will also be an economic engine generating thousands of jobs for New York.”
The Freedom Tower will be located on the World Trade Center’s site in the northwest corner. The new design is described as having a cubic base, rather than a parallelogram as originally conceived. The tower’s footprint (measuring 200 feet by 200 feet) is the same size as the footprint of the original Twin Towers.
To find out more about the redesigned tower, or to stay abreast of future developments on the World Trade Center site, visit the LMDC website (www.renewnyc.com).