One World Trade Center
When you think of New York, what immediately comes to mind is a skyline full of skyscrapers. This idea is not hyperbole. The definition of a skyscraper is any continuously habitable high-rise building that has more than 40 floors. New York has a total of 280 skyscrapers, second only to Hong Kong at 355.
The Empire State Building and Chrysler Building are known for their Art Deco style, but nothing towers over the New York skyline like One World Trade Center. The building is the tallest in the city and one of the tallest in the world. With its sleek exterior, the structure has also become one of the most well-known emblems of New York itself. It is symbolic of the ongoing healing of New York and the country as a whole since the horror of 9/11.
Fun Facts About One World Trade Center
1. One World Trade Center was designed to be the safest commercial structure in the world. This demand required an innovative combination of architecture and engineering. The building also has a LEED CS Gold Certification.
2. Upon its completion, One World Trade Center was the tallest building in the world. The building opened to the public in 2014, with a colossal height of 1,776 feet. The structure surpassed the 1,454 feet of the Empire State Building, which had previously held the record for 40 years.
3. One World Trade Center has been in movies a lot. You can see glimpses of the unfinished or completed tower in the following movies: The Dark Knight Rises, Men in Black 3, The Dictator, The Avengers, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
4. There are only five buildings in the world taller than One World Trade Center. In order of height, they are the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower in Mecca, Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, and Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
5. It took a lot of power and materials to make the One World Trade Center a reality. The building required 26,000 workers for eight years. The tower itself has as much steel as 20,000 cars, more than 3 million square feet of floor area, and cost nearly 4 billion dollars to build.
6. It has not always been called One World Trade Center. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who developed the building, changed the official name in 2009 from the Freedom Tower. Representatives said that the new name was the "easiest for people to identify with."
An Easy Guide to Follow
For a fee, you can visit the observatory at One World Trade Center—and if you find yourself in town, this is a stop you absolutely should not miss. The deck is located on the 102nd story, and don’t get too comfortable while on the elevator—the ride takes a mere 47 seconds to get there. Upon arrival, you’ll be treated to a breath-taking view of the East River, The Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and more. If the day is cloudless, you can see for over eighty miles.
General admission starts at $35 per person and includes the stunning 360-degree view. Upgrading to the Combination ticket for an additional ten dollars gives guests access to the priority lanes as well as a digital skyline tour. Finally, the All-Inclusive ticket goes for $55 and includes everything mentioned above plus $15 for drinks and shopping, as well as flexible arrival times.
Conclusion
One World Trade Center is more than a supertall building. Yes, it's a testament to innovative design and world-class architecture and structural engineering. But it also represents the resiliency and hope of the people affected by the tragedy of 9/11. Located on Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan, no trip to the area is complete without a glimpse of the iconic structure.
Directions from One World Trade Center to TheLiquorStore.com