Winter Garden Atrium facts for kids
The Winter Garden Atrium is a huge, 10-story building in New York City. It has a beautiful glass roof shaped like a dome. You can find it on Vesey Street inside a big office area called Brookfield Place. This place used to be known as the World Financial Center.
The Atrium was designed by Diana Balmori. It was first built in 1988. Later, it had to be rebuilt in 2002. This was because it got damaged when the World Trade Center fell down during the September 11 attacks. Inside the Atrium, you can see many plants, trees, and flowers. There are also shops to explore. The back of the building opens up to a plaza and a yacht harbor on the Hudson River.
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A Look at the Atrium's History
The Winter Garden Atrium was part of a larger plan. It was designed by a famous architect named César Pelli in 1985. The Atrium officially opened its doors on October 14, 1988. Building it cost about $60 million.
At first, the Atrium was connected to the original World Trade Center. A long pedestrian bridge, about 400 feet (122 meters) long, crossed West Street to connect them.
Rebuilding After the 9/11 Attacks
The Atrium was badly damaged during the September 11 attacks in 2001. Most of its glass windows were broken by dust and debris. This happened when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed.
However, the Atrium was quickly rebuilt. It was one of the first big buildings to be fully fixed after the attacks. The reconstruction used 2,000 new glass panes. It also needed 60,000 square feet (5,574 square meters) of marble for the floors and stairs. Sixteen tall palm trees, each about 40 feet (12 meters) high, were also planted. The rebuilding cost around $50 million.
The Winter Garden Atrium reopened on September 17, 2002. The President at the time, George W. Bush, was there for the ceremony. The pedestrian bridge that connected to the World Trade Center was also destroyed. It was replaced with new windows that look out towards where the World Trade Center once stood.
Events and Art Exhibits
The Winter Garden Atrium has always been a place for fun events. Since it was built, it has hosted many concerts and music shows. These are part of the World Financial Center Series.
After it reopened in 2002, the Atrium held many special performances. These included ballets and more concerts. The Big Apple Circus even performed there. There was also a modern musical show called The Downtown Messiah. It was based on a famous piece of music by George Frideric Handel.
Showcasing New Designs
In 2003, an important exhibit was set up in the Atrium. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation created it. This exhibit showed how the World Trade Center area was being rebuilt. It included early ideas for the new One World Trade Center building. Later that year, eight different designs for the new buildings were shown there. These designs were part of a competition.
Today, the Winter Garden Atrium is still a lively place. It hosts art exhibits, music shows, and other performances. It also shows movies during the TriBeCa Film Festival.
See also
In Spanish: Winter Garden Atrium para niños
