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{{about|the former World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in ]}}
{{redirect|WTC}}
{{CoorHeader|40|42|42|N|74|00|45|W|type:landmark}}
:''1 World Trade Center redirects here. For World Trade Center, second version, Tower 1, see ].''
:''2 World Trade Center redirects here. For World Trade Center, second version, Tower 2, see ].''
{{Infobox Skyscraper
|building_name=World Trade Center
|image=]
|previous_building=]
|year_built= ]
|surpassed_by_building=]
|year_highest=1972
|year_end=]
|location=], ], ] (])
|height_meters=417
|height_feet=1,368
|height_stories=110
|construction_period=]-]
|destroyed=], ] ("]")
|completed=]
|emporis_id=131020
|roof=1,368 ft (417.0 m)
|top_floor=1,348 ft (411.0 m)
|antenna_spire=1,731.9 ft (527.9 m)
|floor_area=8.6 million&nbsp;sq&nbsp;ft<br/>800,000&nbsp;m²&nbsp;(1 & 2)
|elevator_count=198 (1 & 2)
|architect=]
}}

The '''World Trade Center''' in ] (sometimes informally referred to as the '''WTC''' or the '''Twin Towers''') was a complex of seven buildings, mostly designed by American architect ] and developed by the ]. It was initiated in 1960 by a Lower Manhattan Association created and chaired by ], who had the original idea of building the Center, with strong backing from the then New York governor, his brother, ].<ref>, '']'' September 8, 2002.</ref> ] held the most recent lease to the complex, the Port Authority having leased it to him in July of ].<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=]|date=],] | url=http://www.panynj.gov/pr/pressrelease.php3?id=80 | title=Governor Pataki, Acting Governor DiFrancesco Laud Historic Port Authority Agreement To Privatize World Trade Center}}</ref> The complex, located in the heart of New York City's downtown financial district, contained 13.4 million square feet (1.24 million m²) of office space, almost four percent of Manhattan's entire office inventory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buildings.com/Articles/detail.asp?ArticleID=341 |author=Buildings.com |title= Four Percent of Manhattan's Total Office Space Was Destroyed in the World Trade Center Attack}}</ref>

Best known for its iconic 110-story Twin Towers, the World Trade Center was beset by a fire on ], ] and ] on ], ]. All of the original buildings in the complex were destroyed in a massive ] on ], ]: ], ] (North and South Towers) and ] collapsed; ] (Marriott Hotel) was crushed by the collapses of 1 WTC and 2 WTC; and ], ], and ] were damaged beyond repair and later demolished. In addition, ] (not part of the complex) was destroyed by the collapse of 2 WTC.

==Planning and construction==
{{main|Design and construction of the World Trade Center}}
During the post-] period, the ] thrived economically, with increasing ]. At the time, economic growth in New York City was concentrated in ], with Lower Manhattan left out. To help stimulate ], ], with support from his brother, New York Governor ], suggested that the Port Authority should build a "]" in ].<ref name="Gillespie-chap1">Gillespie, Angus K. (1999) ''Twin Towers: The Life of New York City's World Trade Center'', Chapter 1, Rutgers University Press</ref>

Initial plans, made public in 1961, identified a site along the ] for the World Trade Center.<ref name="gillespie-ch1"/> Objections to the plan came from New Jersey Governor ], who resented that New York would be getting this $335 million project.<ref name="gillespie-ch1"/> Meanwhile, New Jersey's ] (H&M) was facing bankruptcy. Port Authority executive director, ] agreed to take over control of the H&M Railroad, in exchange for support from New Jersey for the World Trade Center project.<ref name="gillespie-ch1"/> With this acquisition, the Port Authority would obtain the Hudson Terminal, and decrepit buildings located above the terminal in Lower Manhattan.<ref name="gillespie-ch1"/> The Port Authority decided to demolish these buildings, and use this site along the Hudson River for the World Trade Center.<ref name="gillespie-ch1"/> The complex towers were designed by architect ] with ] and ] as associate architects. The World Trade Center was one of the most striking American implementations of the architectural ethic of ], as well as the seminal expression of Yamasaki's gothic modernist tendencies.

===Construction===
]
Groundbreaking for the construction of the World Trade Center was on ], ].<ref>{{cite book |author=Federal Emergency Management Agency |date=May 2002 |title=World Trade Center Building Performance Study |chapter=Chapter 1 |url=http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/mat/mat_fema403.shtm}}</ref> The construction was under the auspices of the semi-autonomous ]. Thirteen square blocks of low rise buildings in ], some of which pre-dated the ], were razed to clear the site for construction.

The excavation of the foundations of the WTC complex, known as ], was particularly complicated since there were two ] tubes close by needing protection without service interruption. A six-level basement was built in the foundations. The excavation of about 1 million ]s (760,000 ]) of earth and rock created a $90 million real estate asset for the project owner, the ], which helped offset the enormous loss in revenues which came from the tax breaks given to the Trade Center itself. The soil was used to create 23 acres (93,000 m²) of landfill in the ] next to the World Trade Center site, which became the site of ] (still under development).

In ], construction was completed on One World Trade Center, with its first tenants moving into the building in December, 1970. Tenants first moved into Two World Trade Center in January 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wtc.nist.gov/pubs/NISTNCSTAR1-1.pdf |author=Lew, H. S., Richard W. Bukowski, and Nicholas J. Carino |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |title= Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Structural and Life Safety Systems (pdf)}}</ref> When the World Trade Center twin towers were completed, the total costs to the Port Authority had reached $900 million.<ref name="Cudahy">{{cite book |author=Cudahy, Brian J. |year=2002 |title=Rails Under the Mighty Hudson: The Story of the Hudson Tubes, the Pennsy Tunnels, and Manhattan Transfer |chapter=Chapter 3 |publisher=Fordham University Press}}</ref> The ribbon-cutting ceremony was on ], ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/World_Trade_Center.html |publisher=Greatbuildings.com |title=World Trade Center - Minoru Yamasaki |accessdate=2006-04-06}}</ref>

===Structural details===
The World Trade Center included many structural engineering innovations in skyscraper design and construction. The towers were designed as framed tube structures, with columns grouped around the perimeter and within the core. The perimeter columns supported virtually all lateral loads, such as wind loads, and shared the gravity loads with the core columns.<ref name="NIST-chapter1">{{cite web |url=http://wtc.nist.gov/NISTNCSTAR1CollapseofTowers.pdf |title=Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center (chapter 1) |publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |date=September 2005}}</ref> All columns were founded on ], which unlike Midtown Manhattan, where the bedrock is shallow, is at 65 feet below the surface.

====Perimeter columns====
Above the seventh floor there were 59 perimeter columns along each face of the building. The perimeter columns had a square cross section, 14 inches on a side (36 cm), and were constructed of welded steel plate.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> The thickness of the plates and grade of steel were varied over the height of the tower, ranging from 36 ksi to 100 ksi, with the steel strength and plate thickness decreasing with height.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> The perimeter columns supported virtually all lateral loads such as wind loads and shared the gravity loads with the core columns. The perimeter structure was constructed with extensive use of prefabricated modular pieces, which consisted of three columns, three stories tall, connected together by spandrel plates. The spandrel plates were welded to the columns at the fabrication shop. The modular pieces were typically 52 inches (1.3 m) deep, and extended for two full floors and half of two more floors.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> Adjacent modules were bolted together, with the splices occurring at mid-span of the columns and spandrels. The spandrel plates were located at each floor, and served to transmit shear flow between columns, thus allowing them to work together in resisting lateral loads. The joints between modules were staggered vertically, so the column splices between adjacent modules were not at the same floor.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/>

====Core====
The building's core housed the ] and utility shafts, restrooms, three stairwells, and other support spaces. The core in 1 WTC was oriented with the long axis east to west, while that of 2 WTC was oriented north to south. The core of each tower was a rectangular area 87 by 135 feet (27 by 41 m) and contained 47 steel columns running from the bedrock to the top of the tower.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> The columns tapered with height, and consisted of welded box-sections at lower floors and rolled wide-flange sections at upper floors. All of the elevators and stairwells were located in the core.

====Floor system====
The large, column-free space between the perimeter and core was bridged by pre-fabricated floor trusses. The floors supported their own weight, as well as live loads, provided lateral stability to the exterior walls, and distributed wind loads among the exterior walls. The floors consisted of 4 inch thick lightweight ] slabs laid on a fluted steel deck. A grid of lightweight bridging trusses and main trusses supported the floors. The trusses had a span of 60 feet (18.2 m) in the long-span areas and 35 feet (11.0 m) in the short span area.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> The trusses connected to the perimeter at alternate columns, and were therefore on 6 foot 8 inch (2.03 m) centers. The top chords of the trusses were bolted to seats welded to the spandrels on the exterior side and a channel welded to the core columns on the interior side. The floors were connected to the perimeter spandel plates with vicsoelastic dampers, which helped reduce the amount of sway felt by building occupants. The trusses supported a 4-inch-thick (10 cm) lightweight concrete floor slab, with shear connections for composite action.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/>

====Hat trusses====
Hat trusses (or "outrigger truss") located from the 107th floor to the top of the buildings were designed to support a tall communications antenna on top of each building.<ref name="NIST-chapter1"/> Though, only WTC1 (north tower) actually had an antenna. The truss system consisted of six trusses along the long axis of core and four along the short axis. This truss system allowed some load redistribution between the perimeter and core columns and supported the transmission tower.

====Design innovations====
]
To solve the problem of ] sway or vibration in the construction of the towers, chief engineer ] took a then unusual approach — instead of bracing the buildings corner-to-corner or using internal walls, the towers were essentially hollow ] tubes surrounding a strong central core. The 208 feet (63.4 m) wide facade was, in effect, a prefabricated steel lattice, with columns on 39&nbsp;] (100 ]) centers acting as wind bracing to resist all overturning forces; the central core took the majority of the gravity loads of the building. A very light, economical structure was built by keeping the wind bracing in the most efficient area, the outside surface of the building, thus not transferring the forces through the floor membrane to the core, as in most curtain-wall structures. The core supported the weight of the entire building and the outer shell containing 240 vertical steel columns called ] ] around the outside of the building, which were bound to each other using ordinary steel trusses. In addition, 10,000 dampers were included in the structure. With a strong shell and core such as this, the exterior walls could be simply light steel and concrete. With the massive core and lightweight shell for structural integrity, Robertson created a tower that was extremely light for its size. This method of construction also meant that the twin towers had the world's highest load-bearing walls.{{fact}}

The buildings were also the second ] buildings to use ] (after the ] in Chicago, Illinois),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.otis.com/otis150/section/1,2344,ARC3066_CLI1_RES1_SEC5,00.html|publisher=]|title= Otis History: The World Trade Center|accessdate=2006-12-07}} </ref>which are floors where commuters can switch from an express ] that goes only to the sky lobbies to a local elevator that goes to each floor in a section. The local elevators were stacked on top of each other, within the same elevator shaft. Located on the 44th and 78th floors of each tower, the sky lobbies enabled the elevators to be used efficiently while taking up a minimum of valuable office space.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gillespie |first=Angus K. |title=Twin Towers: The Life of New York City's World Trade Center |year=1999 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |chapter=Chapter 2}}</ref> Reportedly, this system was inspired by the ] system, whose lines include local stations (at which only local trains stop) and express stations (at which all trains stop).

The site of the World Trade Center was located on landfill, with the bedrock located 65 feet below.<ref name="iglauer">{{cite news |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/content/articles/010924fr_archive02 |title=The Biggest Foundation |author=Iglauer, Edith |date=November 4 1972 |publisher=The New Yorker}}</ref> In order to construct the World Trade Center, it was necessary to build the "bathtub", with the ] along the ] side of the site, which serves the purpose of keeping water from the Hudson River out. The slurry method involves digging a ], and as ] proceeds, filling the space with a "slurry" mixture, comprised of ] which plugs holes and keeps water out. When the trench was dug out, a steel cage was inserted, with concrete poured in, forcing the "slurry" out. The "slurry" method was devised by Port Authority chief engineer, John M. Kyle, Jr.

===Engineers and contractors Involved===

Guy F. Tozzoli,
Director, World Trade Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Rino M. Monti, Chief Engineer

'''Architects''': ], ]; ], New York

'''Structural Engineers''': Skilling, Helle, Christiansen, Robertson, New York

'''Foundation Engineers''': ]-Engineering Department

'''Electrical Engineers''': Joseph R. Loring & Associates, New York

'''Mechanical Engineers''': Jaros, Baum & Bolles, New York

'''General Contractor''': Tishman Realty & Construction Company, New York

===Architectural criticism===
Although the towers became an undeniable icon of New York City, they were not without flaws and were handicapped in many ways. Initially conceived, (as the name suggests) as a complex dedicated to companies and organizations directly taking part in "]," they at first failed to attract the expected clientele; during the WTC's early years various governmental organizations became key tenants. It was not until the 1980s that the city's perilous financial state eased, after which an increasing number of private companies &mdash; mostly financial firms tied to ] &mdash; became tenants.

Moreover, the trade center's "superblock", which replaced a more traditional, dense neighborhood, was regarded by some critics as an inhospitable environment that disrupted the complicated traffic network typical of Manhattan. For example, in his book '']'', the technical historian ] denounced the center as an "example of the purposeless ] and technological exhibitionism that are now eviscerating the living tissue of every great city." On the other hand, Mr. Yamasaki saw the expanse as a focal point of serenity amidst the chaos of the city. While the outdoor space at the center of the complex, the immense Austin J. Tobin Plaza (named after the former executive director of the ] who oversaw the ]'s construction) was unpopular with some, it became a mecca for outdoor concerts and carefree activities.

==The complex==
Ultimately the complex came to consist of seven buildings, but its most notable features were the main twin towers.
]
]

===The Twin Towers===
Each of the WTC towers had 110 stories. 1 WTC (the North Tower, which featured a massive 360 foot high TV antenna added in ]) stood 1,368 ] (417 ]) high,<ref name="height">{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=100329 |publisher=Emporis |title=World Trade Center, New York City |accessdate=2006-04-13}}</ref> and 2 WTC (the South Tower, which contained the observation deck) was 1,362 feet (415 m) high.<ref name="height"/> The length and breadth of the towers were 208 feet (63.4 m) x 208 feet (63.4 m). Although only Tower 1 featured an antenna, the structure of each building was designed to carry a broadcast mast.
When completed in 1972, 1 WTC became the tallest building on Earth, unseating the Empire State Building after a 40 year reign. 2 WTC became the second tallest building in the world when completed in 1973. The difference in height between the two towers was because of a Port Authority request to have two floors, the 43rd and the 67th, in 1 WTC raised, the lower of the taller floors being a cafeteria for PANY workers. 2 WTC did not need these facilities, so it remained 1,362 feet. Regardless, the WTC towers held the height record only briefly. As the building neared completion in 1973, work had already begun on ]'s ], which ultimately reached 1,450 feet (442 m).<ref>{{cite web | title = Sears Tower Building Information | url = http://www.thesearstower.com/buildinginfo.axis?type=n&name=Property%20Profile | accessdate = 2006-09-11 }}</ref>
]
With the World Trade Center's destruction, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York, after spending almost 30 years as the third-tallest in the city. The towers' sheer size was the subject of a joke during a press conference unveiling the landmarks. ] was asked: "Why two 110-story buildings? Why not one 220-story building?" His response was: "I didn't want to lose the human scale". Another popular joke among New York urbanites that died out late in the 1970s from overtelling was that the towers looked like the boxes the ] and Empire State Building came in.
Of the 110 stories, eight were set aside for technical services (]s) Level B6/B5, Floors 7/8, 41/42, 75/76 and 108/109, in four two-floor areas evenly spread up the building. All the remaining floors were free for open-plan offices. Each tower had 3.8 million ] (350,000 ]) of office space, ample room for companies to set up shop. Altogether the entire complex of seven buildings had 11.2 million square feet (1.04&nbsp;km²) of space. During the 1990s some 500 companies, especially financial firms, had offices in the complex, including ], ], ], and the Port Authority itself. Electrical service to the towers was supplied by Consolidated Edison (ConEd) at 13,800 volts. This service passed through the WTC PDC or Primary Distribution Center and sent up through the core of the building to electrical substations located on the mechanical floors. The substations "stepped" the 13,800 primary voltage down to 480/277 volt secondary power and further to 120/208 volt general power and lighting service. The complex also was served by emergency generators located in the sublevels of the towers and on the roof of 5 WTC. {{fact}}

The 110th Floor of 1 WTC (North Tower) housed commercial and public service radio & television transmission equipment. The roof of 1 WTC contained a vast array of transmission antennas including the center antenna mast rebuilt in 1999 by Dielectric Inc. to accommodate DTV. The mast contained the television signals for almost all NYC television broadcasters, (WCBS-TV, WNBC-TV, WNYW-TV, WABC-TV, WWOR-TV, WPIX-TV, WNET-TV, WPXN-TV, and WNJU-TV). It also had four NYC FM broadcasters on it as well (WPAT-FM, WNYC-FM, WKCR, and WKTU).<ref>http://www.fcc.gov/</ref> Access to the roof was controlled from the WTC Operations Control Center (OCC) located in the B1 level of 2 WTC. A series of electrically locked and monitored doors prevented unauthorized access.{{fact}}
The World Trade Center complex was protected by an extensive fire detection and voice evacuation paging system upgraded after the 1993 bombing. Fire Command Stations, staffed by Fire Safety Directors were located in the lobbies of each building and the Operations Control Center (OCC) monitored these systems. An extensive study of the performance of World Trade Center Fire Protection Systems was conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) following 9/11/2001.<ref>http://wtc.nist.gov/NISTNCSTAR1-4C.pdf</ref>

===Observation deck and Windows on the World===
].]]
]
Although the majority of space in the WTC complex was off-limits to the general public, 1 WTC (North Tower) had a restaurant on the 107th floor called ], and 2 WTC (South Tower) featured a public observation area aptly named "Top Of The World."

When visiting the observation deck, visitors would first pass through security checks added after the 1993 ]. Next, visitors were whisked to the 107th floor indoor ] and greeted with a 360 degree view of the New York City skyline, and exhibitions including a three-dimensional scale model of Manhattan, and a simulated helicopter ride around the city. Weather-permitting, visitors could take two short escalator rides up from the 107th floor and visit what was the world's highest outdoor viewing platform. At a height of 1,377 feet (420 m), visitors were able to take in a view of the North Tower and ] unlike any other. On a clear day, it was claimed that visitors could see up to 45 ]s (72 ]) in any given direction. An anti-] fence was placed on the roof itself, with the viewing platform set back and elevated above it, requiring only an ordinary railing and leaving the view unobstructed.

Windows on the World was an elegant restaurant known as a place for big celebrations, such as weddings. In its last full year of operation, 2000, Windows on the World reported revenues of $37.5 million, making it the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States.

===The other buildings===
Five smaller buildings stood around the 16 ] (65,000 m²) block. One was the 22-floor Vista Hotel (3 WTC), later a ], that was squeezed between the two towers. Three low-rise buildings (4 WTC, 5 WTC, and 6 WTC) in the same hollow tube design as the towers also stood around the plaza; they housed the ] and the US ]. In 1987, a 46-floor office building called ] was built north of the block. Under the block was a highly profitable underground shopping mall, which in turn led to various mass transit facilities, particularly the New York City subway system and the Port Authority's own ] trains connecting Manhattan to Jersey City.

One of the world's largest ] depositories was stored underneath the World Trade Center, owned by a group of commercial banks. The ] bomb detonated close to the vault, but it withstood the explosion, as did the towers. Seven weeks after the September 11th attacks, $230 million in precious metals were removed from basement vaults of 4 WTC, which included 3,800 100-Troy-ounce registered gold bars and 30,000 1,000-ounce ] bars.<ref> &ndash; Buried WTC gold returns to futures trade</ref>

===The Mall===
{{main|The Mall at the World Trade Center}}

==Life of the World Trade Center==
On any given day, some 50,000 people worked in the towers with another 200,000 passing through as visitors. The complex was so large that it had its own ]: 10048. The towers offered spectacular views from the observation deck (located on top of the South Tower) and the ] restaurant (located on top of the North Tower). The trade center had its many admirers, particularly visitors. For those who deemed it cold and sterile, there were just as many who appreciated its sheer grandeur; some even took advantage of it. French high wire acrobatic performer ] walked between the towers on a tightrope in ], and Brooklyn toymaker ] scaled the south tower in ]. The Twin Towers became known worldwide, appearing in Movies, TV Shows, Postcards, Merchandise, Magazines and much more. The twin towers became a New York icon, such as the ], or ].

===February 13, 1975 fire===
On ], ], the WTC North Tower was beset by a fire, which "burned at temperatures in excess of 700°C (1,292°F) for over three hours and spread over some 65 percent of the 11th floor, including the core, caused no serious structural damage to the steel structure. In particular, no trusses needed to be replaced".<ref> New York Times. 15 February 1975. </ref>

===Bombing of February 26, 1993===
{{main|World Trade Center bombing}}
On ], ] at 12:17 PM, a ] truck filled with 1,500 ] (682 kg) of explosives was planted by ] and detonated in the underground garage of the North Tower, opening a 200&nbsp;foot (30&nbsp;m) hole through 5 sublevels of ] leaving 50,000 workers and visitors gasping for ] in the shafts of the 110 story towers.

Many people inside the North Tower were forced to walk down darkened stairwells which contained no emergency lighting, some taking two hours or more to reach safety. As the Port Authority was a bi-state agency, the towers were exempt from New York City ]s. Subsequent to the bombing The Port Authority installed emergency lighting in the stairwells. It is believed that this lighting saved many lives during the events of September 11, 2001.

In ] and ], six ] extremists were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the bombing. According to a presiding judge, the conspirators' chief aim at the time of the attack was to de-stabilize the north tower and send it crashing into the south tower, toppling both landmarks.

As a memorial to the victims of the bombing of the tower, a ] was installed with the names of those who had been killed in the blast. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, relief workers found a single fractured piece of this fountain; to date it is the only remaining part of the 1993 memorial that survived the collapse of the towers.

===Lease===
In 1998, plans were approved by the Port Authority to privatize the World Trade Center.<ref>{{cite news |title=PA to ease WTC tax load, rent would be cut to offset hike by city |publisher=New York Daily News |date=February 6, 2001 |author=Herman, Eric}}</ref> In 2001, the Port Authority sought to lease the World Trade Center to a private entity. Bids for the lease came from ], a joint bid between ] and ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Bidding for Twin Towers |publisher=The New York TImes |date=January 31, 2001 |author=Bagli, Charles V.}}</ref> and a joint bid by ] and ].<ref name="cuozzo">{{cite news |title=Larry Lusts for Twin Towers; Silverstein has an Eye on WTC's; Untapped Retail Potential |publisher=New York Post |date=January 30, 2001 |author=Cuozzo, Steve}}</ref> By privatizing the World Trade Center, it would be added to the city's tax rolls.<ref name="cuozzo"/> The lease was also intended to raise funds for other Port Authority projects.<ref>{{cite news |title=Port Authority Gets Final Bids on WTC |publisher=New York Daily News |date=January 31, 2001 |author=Herman, Eric}}</ref> On ], ], the Port Authority announced that Vornado Trust Reality had won the lease for the World Trade Center, paying $3.25 billion for the 99-year lease.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brookfield Loses Lease Bid |publisher=Toronto Star |date=February 23, 2001}}</ref> Silverstein was outbid by $50 million by ]. However, Vornado later withdrew and Silverstein's bid for the lease to the World Trade Center was accepted on ] ]. The land was then privately owned.

==September 11, 2001==
{{main|September 11, 2001 attacks}}
] crashes into the North Tower.]]
]
] just before crashing into the South Tower.]]

On September 11, 2001 at 8:46 ], ] suicide hijackers crashed ] into the North Tower. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNumSQL.asp?NNumbertxt=334AA&cmndfind.x=11&cmndfind.y=24 |title=N-Number Inquiry Results |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref><ref name="911commisssion">{{cite web|url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/index.htm |title=9/11 Commission Report |publisher=The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States}}</ref> Seventeen minutes later, 9:03 a.m., a second team of hijackers crashed ] into the South Tower,<ref name="911commisssion"/><ref>{{cite web| url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNumSQL.asp?NNumbertxt=612UA&cmndfind.x=0&cmndfind.y=0 |title=N-Number Inquiry Results |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref> which collapsed at 9:59 a.m. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed. Later that day ] collapsed. The four remaining buildings in the WTC plaza sustained heavy damage from debris, and were ultimately demolished.

At the time of the incident, media reports suggested that tens of thousands might have been killed in the massacre, as on any given day upwards of 100,000 people could be inside the towers. Ultimately, 2,749 death certificates were filed relating to the WTC attacks, as of February 2005. Thirteen people died after the disaster from injuries received on September 11; three of these people died in Massachusetts, Missouri, and New Jersey, and the rest died in New York. Of these, 1,588 (58%) were forensically identified from recovered physical remains. The median age for the victims was 39 years (range: 2-85 years); the median age was 38 years for females (range: 2-81 years) and 39 years for males (range: 3-85 years). Three people were aged under 5 years, and three were aged over 80 years.<ref>{{cite web | title=CNN | work=Identification of 9/11 remains comes to an end | url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/22/wtc.identifications/ | accessdate=February 23 | accessyear=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=USA Today | work=NYC's work to ID 9/11 victims ends - for now | url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2005-02-23-sept11-ids_x.htm | accessdate=February 23 | accessyear=2005}}</ref>

] was the largest tenant in the World Trade Center, with approximately 2,500 employees in the South Tower and 1,000 in the North Tower.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jet Crash Victims' Stories Start To Emerge; Loved Ones Describe Lives, Last Contacts |publisher=The Washington Post |date=September 12, 2001 |author=Goldstein, Amy, Cheryl W. Thompson |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2001/09/12/AR2005033108307.html}}</ref>

For the following 8½ months, the ] cleanup and recovery continued 24 hours a day and involved thousands of workers. The massive pile of debris smoked and smoldered for 99 days.

{{see also|Collapse of the World Trade Center|One World Trade Center tenants|Two World Trade Center tenants|List of tenants in World Trade Center Seven}}

==Rebuilding the World Trade Center==
{{Future building|World Trade Center}}
{{main|World Trade Center site}}
]
The ], the agency charged with coordinating the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site, selected the master plan, ] by ],<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.renewnyc.com/plan_des_dev/wtc_site/new_design_plans/selected_design.asp |author=Lower Manhattan Development Corp. |title=Selected Design for the WTC Site as of February 2003}}</ref> which includes the 1776 ft (541 m) ]. The height of 1,776 feet (541 m) was chosen as a ] to the year of ]. A new ] office building, which was not part of the site master plan, officially opened on May 23, 2006.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation sponsored an international design competition for the ] in spring 2003. The winning design, ] and Peter Walker's ''Reflecting Absence'', was chosen in January 2004.

]
The World Trade Center name will continue to be used as name of the site, as will the ] and ] train stations that serve the complex. A temporary ], largely following the layout of the original, is the first part of the complex to have re-opened.

On November 22, 2004, New York Governor ] named the living former presidents as honorary members of the board rebuilding the World Trade Center.

On May 18, 2005, ], long-time opponent of the Freedom Tower, proposed the ] plan to rebuild the Twin Towers with various safety, structural, and technological improvements. It is said most New Yorkers prefer this plan over the current plan.

On June 29, 2005, a redesigned Freedom Tower was unveiled which more closely resembled the character of the fallen towers. The new design also boasted several safety improvements over previous proposals.

On December 15, 2005, ] was announced as the architect who will design the second of five new office towers planned for the site.

On March 13, 2006 workers arrived at the World Trade Center site to remove remaining debris and start surveying work. This marks the official start of construction of the WTC Memorial and Museum.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nysun.com/article/29032| last=Westfeldt| first=Amy| publisher=New York Sun| title=Construction Begins On World Trade Center Memorial| date=],]}}</ref>

]

In April 2006, a tentative agreement was reached by the owner of the site, The Port Authority, and private developer Larry Silverstein. The main elements of that agreement are that Silverstein ceded rights to develop the Freedom Tower and Tower Five in exchange for financing with ] for Tower Two, Three, and Four which are considered to be the most marketable properties of the site. On April 27, 2006, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Freedom Tower.<ref></ref>

In May 2006, architects ] and ] were announced as the architects for Towers Three and Four, respectively.

The final designs for Towers Two, Three and Four were unveiled on September 7, 2006. Tower Two, or ], will have a roof height of 1,254 feet and a 85-foot tripod spire. Tower Three, or ] will have a roof height of 1,155 feet and an antennae height of 1,255 feet. Tower Four, or ], will have an overall height of 946 feet.<ref></ref>

As of late 2006, work at the World Trade Center site continued. Foundation work has started on the Freedom Tower, Calatrava Hub, and the memorials. By the end of 2006, the site was expected to look like the massive construction project that built the previous WTC.

== Site buildings ==
=== Original ===
*1 World Trade Center (North Tower)
*2 World Trade Center (South Tower)
*] (])
*] (South Plaza Building)
*] (North Plaza Building)
*] (U.S. Customs House)
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=== New ===
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==Film and media==
The World Trade Center has been featured in numerous ], as well as appearing in many television shows, cartoons, comic books and computer/video games. The pilot episode of '']'', aired in March 2001, featured a thwarted attempt to crash an airplane into the World Trade Center. The original preview ] for the 2002 film '']'' featured the ] capturing a group of bank robbers fleeing in a helicopter by creating a large web between the Twin Towers; this trailer, along with posters featuring the towers reflected in the eyepiece of Spider-Man's mask, was pulled from distribution following the 9/11 attacks, and the scene did not appear in the finished film,the World Trade Center also has several scenes in the Emmy-Award ] in ].

Two major film dramatisations of the 9/11 attacks were released in ]: '']'' and '']''. Images of the clean-up process at ] were taken over nine months by photographer ] following 9/11, and have been compiled in '']'', published by ] in 2006.

==See also==
{|
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* ], a look-a-like of WTC
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===Tenants===
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|}

==References==
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==External links==
{{commonscat|World Trade Center (New York)}}
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* Official site for Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center.
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===Webcams===
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Latest revision as of 11:49, 16 August 2015

This is the old page history that used to be at the title World Trade Center. Its accompanying talk page is still located at Talk:World Trade Center and a fuller explanation of how this came to be can be found there. The history here has been preserved for attribution purposes, do not delete it. Jenks24 (talk) 11:48, 16 August 2015 (UTC)