Designs for Three World Trade Center Towers Unveiled

Just 4 days before the anniversary of 9/11, designs for the three World Trade Center (WTC) towers were unveiled. New York Governor George Pataki, along with the State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, WTC Developer Larry A. Silverstein, and Architects Lord Norman Foster, Lord Richard Rogers, and Fumihiko Maki gathered at 7 WTC (the first building completed on the site) to reveal the designs.

After the rave reviews issued for the PATH Transportation Hub designed by Santiago Calatrava, the nation’s curiosity over the design of Towers 2, 3, and 4 grew. These buildings will occupy the length of the east side of the site (bounded by Church Street to the east and a reintroduced Greenwich Street to the west). According to the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., “In keeping with the Libeskind master plan for the site, the towers will form a descending spiral toward the Memorial and will include 6.2 million square feet of office space and a half million square feet of interconnected and contiguous first-class retail.”

At the unveiling on Sept. 7, Governor Pataki spoke of hope, perseverance, and remembrance. “As the world stood transfixed on how Americans and New Yorkers would respond to the worst attacks on American soil, we dared to dream big and think bold. We selected the visionary master site plan by Daniel Libeskind that placed the Memorial to our nearly 3,000 lost heroes at its heart and that inspired plan, not only remains intact but will be nearly fully realized by 2012,” he said.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg added, “The new towers will be a magnificient addition to the rebirth of Lower Manhattan. Not only will they create vibrant retail stores and superior commercial space, but these spectacular skyscrapers will join the PATH station, the Freedom Tower, and the World Trade Center Memorial to make Lower Manhattan one of the most exceptional places on earth. The new skyline that will be created will be worthy of our new 21^st century downtown, restoring the splendor of our City’s historic birthplace.”

Architects Foster, Rogers, and Maki achieved what has been called “an unprecedented spirit of collaboration”. Foster was selected as the architect for 200 Greenwich (tower 2) in Dec. 2005 while Rogers and Maki were named to design 175 Greenwich (tower 3) and 150 Greenwich (tower 4) this past May. Once the architects were named, Developer Larry Silverstein created a design studio in the 25^th floor of 7 WTC. Work has not ceased since that time. “I am amazed by what we have been able to accomplish in a few short months. Each design is timeless in its feel and reflects the individual genius of each architect. At the same time, the towers relate perfectly to each other visually and, together, will enliven the surrounding area with a dynamic retail-oriented streetscape,” said Silverstein.

The developer has made a commitment that all three of the Greenwich Street towers will achieve a LEED gold rating, which is consistent with the model established for 7 WTC and the Freedom Tower.

To view the design of Towers 2, 3, and 4, visit (www.wtc.com).