World Trade Center (2001–present) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids World Trade Center |
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The current brandmark of the World Trade Center.
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| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Mostly complete | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New York City, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°42′42″N 74°00′45″W / 40.71167°N 74.01250°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groundbreaking | 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction started |
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| Completed |
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| Opening |
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| Owner | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Durst Organization | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The new World Trade Center (WTC) is a group of buildings in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was built to replace the original seven buildings on the same spot. These older buildings were destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The area is now being rebuilt with several tall skyscrapers. Four of these have been finished as of 2024. There is also a memorial and museum at the site. Other new parts include Liberty Park, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, and a large transportation hub. The One World Trade Center, which has 104 stories, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It is the main building of the new complex.
The World Trade Center buildings are part of a global network created by the World Trade Centers Association. The original World Trade Center had two very tall buildings called the Twin Towers. They opened in 1973 and were the tallest buildings in the world at that time.
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda members took over two airplanes and crashed them into the Twin Towers. This terrible act of terrorism caused the towers to fall, and 2,753 people died. The collapse also damaged buildings nearby. It took eight months to clean up the World Trade Center site and recover from the attacks. After that, work began to rebuild the area.
Contents
- Exploring the World Trade Center Site
- The World Trade Center Logo
- Related pages
- Images for kids
- See also
Exploring the World Trade Center Site
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Overview of the World Trade Center site
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The new World Trade Center will eventually have six buildings, the 9/11 memorial and museum, a shopping area, a transportation hub, a parking lot, a park, a church, and a place for performances. As of January 2022, here is how the construction of the redesigned site was coming along:
| Name | Image | Date construction started | Date of completion | Height | Current status |
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| One World Trade Center | .jpg) |
April 27, 2006 | November 3, 2014 | 1,776 feet (541 m) | Completed |
| 2 World Trade Center |  |
November 10, 2008 | Unknown | 1,348 feet (411 m) | Base completed; Tower on hold |
| 3 World Trade Center | .jpg) |
November 10, 2010 | June 11, 2018 | 1,079 feet (329 m) | Completed |
| 4 World Trade Center | .jpg) |
January 22, 2008 | November 13, 2013 | 978 feet (298 m) | Completed |
| 5 World Trade Center |
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2025 | Unknown | 902 feet (275 m) | Approved |
| 7 World Trade Center | .jpg) |
May 7, 2002 | May 23, 2006 | 745 feet (227 m) | Completed |
| National September 11 Memorial | .jpg) |
March 13, 2006 | September 11, 2011 | Completed | |
| National September 11 Museum |  |
March 13, 2006 | May 21, 2014 | Completed | |
| World Trade Center Transportation Hub |  |
April 26, 2010 | March 3, 2016 | Completed | |
| Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center |  |
August 31, 2017 | September 13, 2023 | Completed | |
| Vehicular Security Center |  |
November 10, 2011 | 2017 | Completed | |
| Liberty Park |  |
November 20, 2013 | June 29, 2016 | Completed | |
| St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church |  |
October 18, 2014 | December 6, 2022 | Completed | |
| Fiterman Hall | _26_-_BMCC_Fiterman_Hall.jpg) |
March 2008 | August 27, 2012 | Completed |
The Towers of the World Trade Center
One World Trade Center: A Symbol of Hope
One World Trade Center was once called the "Freedom Tower." It is the main building of the new design. This building stands at 1,368 feet tall, which was the height of the original North Tower. Its spire reaches a symbolic height of 1,776 feet. This number refers to the year 1776, when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. The building opened on November 3, 2014.
Two World Trade Center: A Future Vision
2 World Trade Center, also known as 200 Greenwich Street, was designed by British architect Norman Foster. The lower part of the building, up to street level, was finished in mid-2013. However, the rest of the tower is still waiting to be built. Construction will continue once companies agree to rent space there.
Three World Trade Center: Modern Design
3 World Trade Center, located at 175 Greenwich Street, was designed by Richard Rogers Partnership. It stands across from the two reflecting pools of the Memorial. The underground parts and the ground-level base were finished by October 2013. After a pause, the tower construction began in August 2014. The building officially opened on June 11, 2018.
Four World Trade Center: The First to Open
4 World Trade Center, also known as 150 Greenwich Street, was designed by Maki and Associates. This building opened in November 2013. It was the second tower on the site to open, after 7 World Trade Center. It was also the first building on the Port Authority's property to be completed.
Five World Trade Center: Approved for Construction
5 World Trade Center will be built where the Deutsche Bank Building once stood. Its foundation was finished in 2013. As of 2021, the main part of the building has not yet started construction. The plans for this tower have been approved.
Seven World Trade Center: The First Rebuilt Tower
7 World Trade Center is located just outside the main World Trade Center property. David Childs designed this tower. It is 52 stories tall, plus one underground floor. This makes it the 28th tallest building in New York. It opened on May 23, 2006. It was the first tower in the complex to reopen after the attacks.
Remembering 9/11: The Memorial and Museum
A special memorial called Reflecting Absence was created to honor the people who died in the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial was designed by Peter Walker and Israeli-American architect Michael Arad. It features a field of trees and two large pools of water. These pools are located where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of the victims are carved into the walls around the pools.
The slurry wall, which is a strong wall that holds back the Hudson River, can still be seen. It was an important part of the original design. Walker and Arad's design was chosen from over 5,000 ideas in January 2004.
In October 2004, it was announced that Gehry Partners LLP and Snøhetta would design the performing arts and museum buildings. The Snøhetta-designed museum serves as a memorial museum and visitor center.
Construction of the memorial was finished by early 2011. The memorial opened on September 11, 2011, which was the 10th anniversary of the attacks. The museum was planned to open in September 2012. However, it was delayed due to money problems and damage from Hurricane Sandy. The museum finally opened in May 2014.
The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center
The World Trade Center's Performing Arts Center was first announced in 2004. Its design was changed several times. In June 2016, the center was renamed after Ronald Perelman, a businessman who gave $75 million to the project. A new design for the center was shown on September 8, 2016.
Construction on the underground parking garage began in 2017. The main building started in 2018. The center officially opened on September 13, 2023.
The Performing Arts Center covers 129,000 square feet across three floors. The ground floor is open to the public and has a restaurant and bar. The second floor has rehearsal and dressing rooms for performers. The third floor contains three theaters. These theaters can hold between 99 and 450 people each. All three theaters are designed so their walls can move and expand. This allows them to create a larger single theater if needed. Together, the theaters can seat about 1,200 people.
Liberty Park and Its Features
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Liberty Park is a new park built on a raised platform. It sits on top of a parking complex called the Vehicular Security Center. This park is located at the southwest corner of the World Trade Center site. Construction on the park began in 2013 after the parking complex was finished.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey set aside about $50 million for the park's construction in December 2013. The park opened to the public on June 29, 2016. On August 16, 2017, the famous sculpture The Sphere was placed in the park. It overlooks its original spot in the old World Trade Center complex.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was originally going to be moved. However, the latest plans called for the church to be rebuilt within Liberty Park. In July 2008, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey made a deal with the church leaders. The Port Authority bought the church's old land for $20 million and agreed to rebuild the church.
However, officials changed their minds in 2009. This led the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America to sue the Port Authority. They sued because the Port Authority did not rebuild the church as promised. On October 14, 2011, a new agreement was signed to rebuild the church. This agreement ended all legal action.
The ground blessing ceremony and the symbolic laying of the cornerstone happened in October 2014. Construction was expected to finish within two years. But in December 2017, work stopped because of unpaid bills. Work started again in August 2020. The church fully opened for regular services on December 6, 2022, which is Saint Nicholas Day.
The park is 1 acre in size, about 300 feet long, and 20 feet high. It can hold 750 people. A green wall is on the side facing Liberty Street. A walkway from a pedestrian bridge curves through the park. There are also three stairways, the pedestrian bridge, and a ramp down to Greenwich Street for exits. A wide staircase is located next to Greenwich Street, behind the church. The park has wooden benches and a small amphitheater-like area. There is also an observation balcony along Liberty Street and another curved balcony at the church's base.
Fiterman Hall: A College Building Rebuilt
The first Fiterman Hall was an office building built in 1959. It was given to BMCC in 1993 and named after Miles and Shirley Fiterman. In 2000, a big renovation began to make the building better for classrooms.
During the September 11 attacks in 2001, Fiterman Hall was badly damaged by falling pieces from 7 World Trade Center. The renovation was never finished. The building was declared unsafe and torn down in 2008. After some delays, a new building was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Construction started in December 2009 and was completed in 2012.
The World Trade Center Logo
The new World Trade Center logo was revealed in August 2014. It was designed by the company Landor Associates and looks like the letter "W". All the black lines and empty spaces in the logo have special meanings. The logo has at least six different meanings:
- The five bars in the logo stand for the five main towers that will make up the completed World Trade Center.
- The top part of the logo has bars cut at a 17.76-degree angle. This reminds us of One World Trade Center's 1,776-foot height.
- Two white columns at the top represent the Tribute in Light memorial. This memorial uses beams of light to honor the Twin Towers.
- Three black bars at the top symbolize the unique trident-shaped columns of the original Twin Towers.
- Two black bars at the bottom stand for the two reflecting pools of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
- The entire logo is shaped like a "W". This "W" stands for "World Trade Center" and "Westfield World Trade Center" (a shopping mall).
Landor Associates received a $3.57 million contract in 2013 for these design changes. This included creating the new logo and plans for signs and communication around the World Trade Center site. Douglas Riccardi, a design expert, said the logo's strength is that it can be seen in many ways. He noted that it packs a lot of meaning into just five small bars.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The original World Trade Center in March 2001
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Construction of the September 11 Memorial complex in December 2010
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Rebuilding progress in April 2011, looking west from the transportation hub's site
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Rebuilding progress in April 2014, looking east from the memorial
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View of Manhattan from One World Trade Center Skypod
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The completed South Pool in April 2012
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The WTC Hub as seen at night, 2016
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Liberty Island seen from One World Trade Center Skypod
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See also
In Spanish: World Trade Center (2001-presente) para niños
