America's Tallest Building: One World Trade Center - NYC, NY (Est. 2014)

One World Trade Center (also known as The Freedom Tower) is located in lower Manhattan, NY. Standing as a shining beacon for the new Downtown, and a bold addition to the skyline, One World Trade Center is safe, sustainable, and artistically dynamic. 

Soaring to a symbolic 1,776 feet — it is both America's tallest building and the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building. The construction of below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the new building began on April 27, 2006. 

This amazing structure was built on the same grounds where the tragic 9-11 attack happened resulting in the complete destruction of the previous majestic twin towers. Some interesting building facts: Opened October 2014, tallest of new WTC Complex, 104 Stories / 1776 feet high, 3 million rentable square feet of space, 55 foot high office lobby, 54 High-speed destination dispatch passenger elevators. Life-safety systems far exceed NYC building code. With entrances on all 4 sides of the building, One WTC has been designed to smoothly integrate traffic of visitors & office tenants. The cubic base has a footprint identical to the original Twin Towers.  The surface of the base is clad in more than 2,000 pieces of shimmering prismatic glass.

World Trade Center Ground Zero Walking Tours

One World Trade Center is a mixed-use building, with office space, retail space, and a 9/11 Memorial Museum. The building is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Condé Nast, EY, and Salesforce. The retail space includes a food court, a bookstore, and a number of other shops. The 9/11 Memorial Museum is located in the basement of the building and tells the story of the September 11 attacks. 

The tower ascends 69 stories — its edges chamfered back to form 8 isosceles triangles, a perfect octagon at center. It culminates in a square, glass parapet at the crown, its crystalline form creating a vibrant effect, as light refracts like a kaleidoscope, changing throughout the day.  The “One World Observatory” is an enclosed observation deck rising 1,250 ft. above street level.  The crown of One WTC is a 408-foot spire — consisting of a mast and a communication platform ring. At night, a beacon at the top sends out a horizontal light beam, which can be seen from miles away. 

The building's architect is David Childs, whose firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) also designed the Burj Khalifa and the Willis Tower.  One World Trade Center was designed as a memorable architectural landmark — a symbol of the American spirit, with a simplicity and clarity of form that will remain fresh and timeless.