Until the 2001 attack, it was notable for its huge twin towers, each of which had 110 stories, that formed a distinctive feature of the New York skyline. The roof of One World Trade Center reached 1,368 feet (417 metres), and Two World Trade Center was 1,362 feet (415 metres) tall. Their height makes them the second-and third-tallest free-standing structures in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The spires on top of their roofs were 468 feet (140 metres) and 472 feet (147 metres) respectively.
The twin towers were initially planned as merely the first two buildings in a series of three skyscrapers called the World Trade Center complex. They were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with input from Paul Rudolph who designed the other two buildings in the complex. The main structural elements of the towers were made of steel and concrete, with some trusses inside to provide greater floor space. The total weight of the towers was about 2,750,000 pounds (1,350,000 kg).
The original plan called for the construction of only the first building in the complex but after the September 11 attacks, when it was determined that both towers would have to be rebuilt, the project became even more ambitious. It was eventually decided to build not one, but two new World Trade Centers instead.
110 tales The World Trade Center complex was centered on the Twin Towers. 1 WTC (North Tower) and 2 WTC (South Tower) both had 110 floors and supplied almost 10 million square feet of office space for about 35,000 workers and 430 businesses.
The World Trade Center was the tallest building in New York until 2001 when World Trade Center Building 7 was completed. WTC 7 was a 27-story high-rise building that contained an auditorium, two large ballrooms, and other meeting spaces. It was not considered part of the World Trade Center complex but instead was owned by another company that leased space to WTC.
Built by the Otis Elevator Company in 1958, the Twin Towers were originally named the John Hancock Center after its primary tenant, the insurance company John Hancock. When 9/11 occurred, they were the highest buildings in New York City and the world.
There are several theories as to why the Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001. The most popular one is that al-Qaeda members deliberately destroyed them in order to provide an economic stimulus program. Other factors include damage caused by airplanes themselves and the impact of the destruction of the two towers caused more debris to fall toward their sisters tower which may have contributed to her collapse. However only one of the four planes that attacked the complex reached its target; the others crashed into the nearby Hudson River or elsewhere in New Jersey.
It opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower), at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower), at 1,362 feet (415.1 m), were the highest structures in the world at the time of their construction. They were surpassed by the 1,453-foot (442 m) Sears Tower in Chicago when it was completed in 1990.
The two towers were initially intended to be identical structures. But when presented with design options for both buildings, New York City officials made a decision that would affect not only the look of Lower Manhattan but also the safety features included in each tower's construction. The city chose to have the South Tower be taller than the North Tower.
This decision was likely done to improve the flow of traffic through Lower Manhattan. Since the two towers were being built at the same time, building codes required them to be equal in height. By making one structure higher, they could put more floors into each tower, which would make more parking spaces available on the roof and increase the number of people who could be housed in the buildings.
If the North Tower had been as tall as the South, there would have been only 100 more people able to park on its roof. This may not seem like a large number, but it is when you consider that each floor space has a maximum capacity of about 40 people.
Prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, the original World Trade Center's twin towers were ranked second and third on the list below, after Sears Tower... highest skyscrapers.
| Rank | 1 |
|---|---|
| Name | One World Trade Center |
| Location | New York City 45″N 74°0′47.53″W |
| Height ft (m) | 1,776 ft (541 m) |
| Floors | 94 |
The North Tower The original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower), at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower), at 1,362 feet (415.1 m), were the highest structures in the world at the time of their construction. 1973-2001: World Trade Center.
| World Trade Center | |
|---|---|
| Topped-out | 1 WTC: December 23, 1970 2 WTC: July 19, 1971 |
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
