World Trade Center 1 (Freedom Tower): description, history

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

1946. China is expecting a new civil war. Japan still can not recover from the terrible atomic attack. Europe is engulfed in ruins. And the USA? Everything is fine in America: the dollar was recognized as an international currency, the UN and the International Bank are being created, the construction of new buildings is beginning. The United States expects that it will soon become a powerful power and "squeeze" the whole world.

In the same year, the powers that be, namely the leadership of New York, come up with a proposal to build the WTC - World Trade Center 1 in Lower Manhattan. They assume that post-war countries will begin to conduct international trade. But the Cold War could have prevented this: the Russians, with the strongest land army in the world, acquire an atomic bomb, cast icy glances at Europe and strengthen friendly relations with Asia: help the Koreans end the war and forever cement their relations with China. Then the Americans have to postpone the construction of the World Trade Center indefinitely.

Historyemergence of twin towers

The chief architect of the World Trade Center seemed to have a presentiment that one day the structure he designed would play a fatal role for the United States. Minoru Yamasaki wrote that if it were possible, "I would solve my architectural problems by designing one-story houses."

It all started at the initiative of the director of the New York Port Authority, August Tobin, who, in the year 46 of the last century, put forward a proposal to build the World Trade Center 1. Roughly speaking, he wanted to create something that would bring a lot of income.

Legislative authorizes 21 buildings on the banks of the East River - land owned by the Authority. A project is being developed, and when it was ready (in 1949), the approval document was withdrawn.

In the mid-1950s, the developed project sees David Rockefeller. Only his goal is different - to restore the attractiveness of the lower part of the city of New York (Manhattan). In 1958, they began to develop a plan to increase business activity, and in 1960 they began to evaluate the WTC project. According to it, the complex was to be located on 53 hectares of land owned by the Port Authority, and there was also a 300-meter exhibition hall surrounded by 50- and 70-story hotels and offices. Entertainment was provided, such as theatres, restaurants and shops. But it was not until September 1962 that the chief architect (Minoru Yamasaki) was appointed to work on the final design, and construction began in 1965.

Yamasaki made his own adjustments: he unconditionally rejected the possibility of erecting a group of buildingsand offered to opt for two twin towers with a height of 80 floors. It followed from this that it was necessary to completely change the project. However, everything happened very quickly: at the end of 1970, the uppermost element of the supporting structure was mounted in a solemn ceremony, and in 1973 the buildings were commissioned.

Events of September 11, 2001

For nearly 30 years, the WTC twins have been the world's tallest jobs. The first tragedy happened on February 26, 1993. On this day, on the second floor of the North Tower, where the underground parking was located, a truck exploded, in which a bomb was planted. Omar Abdel-Rahman (the leader of the Islamists and the organizer of the attack) expected that the tower would begin to collapse and touch the second, that is, the skyscrapers would be completely destroyed. But he miscalculated - the creations of a talented architect survived. The collapse killed 6 people, injured about 1000, the building completely ceased to function.

102 minutes are the scariest minutes of 2001. Just an hour and a half, and World Trade Center 1 ceased to exist. At 8:46 a.m., a plane with terrorists on board rammed the first tower, and at 10:28 another Boeing rammed the second, and these terrible seconds were captured on video. This terrorist attack is the largest in the history of mankind. Almost 3,000 people became its victims, 24 more were missing.

Building revitalization

November 21, 2006 was the day when the first phase of the construction of the modern WTC 1 began. For this projectit took a lot of time and finances - almost 4 billion dollars and 7 years (like its predecessor, destroyed on September 11, 2001). The height of the tower is 541 m (including the spire, which weighs more than 700 tons). Today, this architectural creation is the tallest in New York, the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere.

In the places where the twin towers used to stand, 2 memorials were installed in the form of pools made of granite, and around the perimeter lined with bronze slabs with engraved names of the dead. They are located exactly where the foundations of the buildings were laid. And WTC 1 itself is located in the western corner of the site. It turns out that the new buildings seem to surround Ground Zero (memorial of memory).

Characteristics of a modern building

World Trade Center 1, or Freedom Tower, is a retail and office building. The structure strongly resembles its predecessors. This is a light spiral building with a huge spire at the top. It is glazed on the outside, and inside the central part there is a large hall. The height of the room is 24 m, and from here you can access offices, restaurants, information centers and exhibition halls.

The underground part is equipped with lobbies connected to the railway lines and the city subway. At the very top, of course, are the restaurants that open up the amazing landscape. There are also viewing platforms on the upper levels. The lower part of the Freedom Tower is lined with prismatic glass, while the upper part is lined with blue.

Some interesting facts

• Most of the budget funds were earmarked for security in the event of a terrorist attack.
• In 1776, the United States declared independence. The building is 1,776 feet tall, and for good reason.
• The glass panels chosen as the cladding material reduce operating costs by 20% by flooding the interior with daylight.
• Memorial to the people who died and went missing when Manhattan's previous skyscrapers collapsed, according to various estimates, the most visited, but the project was criticized for its huge cost and lack of aesthetics.

What tourists need to know?

Every tour of New York includes a visit to World Trade Center 1. You can also get into it yourself. The entrance ticket to the observation deck is about $30. As in many other countries and cities, here you can purchase the New York Pass and visit all the places you want (including WTC 1) for free.

The observation decks in the Freedom Tower (New York, Manhattan) are at levels 100, 101 and 102. High-speed elevators are lifted up, the walls of which are equipped with displays showing the stages of the city's development as it "growing up".

Given the terrible tragedy that occurred on this site 15 years ago, many people are afraid to visit WTC 1. When the building was put into operation, the owners waited a long time for the tenants of the premises - few people wanted to take such a risk. But, as you know, the projectiledoesn't fall into the same funnel twice, and hopefully it does.

World Trade Center 1 - the answer to terrorism

WTC 1 is not just a beautiful architectural object with a panoramic observation deck. This is a worthy response to world terrorism, as well as a place where you can honor the memory of dead people. The modern New York building is one of the top attractions and is most frequented by locals and tourists.