Considering what happened here makes this place truly special. This is the story of 2 World Trade Center.
2 World Trade Center is planned as part of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex. It is located in Manhattan. The address is 200 Greenwich Street. The building will replace the original 2 World Trade Center.
The original 2 World Trade Center was completed in 1973. It was destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The new 2 World Trade Center’s foundation was completed in 2013. Construction has been on hold since then.
When completed in 1973, the original 2 World Trade Center became the second tallest building in the world. It was behind its twin, 1 World Trade Center. The South Tower’s rooftop observation deck was 1362 feet high. The indoor observation deck was 1310 feet high. The Sears Tower in Chicago soon surpassed the World Trade Center towers in height. The South Tower had 110 floors. This was more than any other building at the time.
Eight stories were set aside for technical services. These mechanical floors were evenly spaced. The remaining floors were open-plan offices. Each floor had 40000 square feet of space. The original Two World Trade Center had 95 express and local elevators. The tower had 3800000 square feet of office space.
Initially, the complex was for companies taking part in world trade. The South Tower failed to attract the expected clientele. Governmental organizations became key tenants. In the 1980s, the city’s financial state improved. Private companies became tenants. Many were financial firms tied to Wall Street. About 500 companies had offices in the complex in the 1990s. These included Morgan Stanley, Aon, Salomon Brothers and the Port Authority. The basement concourse included The Mall at the World Trade Center and a PATH station.
Electrical service was supplied by Consolidated Edison. It passed through the World Trade Center Primary Distribution Center. It went up through the core to electrical substations. The substations stepped down the voltage. The complex also had emergency generators. They were located in the sub-levels and on the roof of 5 WTC. The 110th floor of 1 World Trade Center housed radio and television equipment. Access to the roof of 1 WTC was controlled from the WTC Operations Control Center. It was located in the B1 level of 2 WTC.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists crashed United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower. Three buildings in the World Trade Center complex collapsed. This included 2 WTC. The light construction allowed jet fuel to penetrate far inside. It ignited many large fires. The fuel burned for a few minutes. The contents of the buildings burned for over an hour. The fires weakened the columns. Floors sagged pulling perimeter columns inward. The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. It burned for 56 minutes.
The new 2 World Trade Center will have 90 stories. Its architectural height will be 1251 feet.
Larry Silverstein leased the original World Trade Center in July 2001. His company continued to pay rent after the September 11 attacks. Architects and urban planning experts discussed ideas for rebuilding. Daniel Libeskind won a competition to design the master plan. The master plan included five towers. It also included a 9/11 memorial and a transportation hub. The plans were delayed due to disputes. The PANYNJ and Silverstein reached an agreement in 2006. Silverstein Properties ceded rights to develop 1 and 5 WTC. In exchange he received financing for 2, 3, and 4 WTC.
Norman Foster of Foster and Partners was hired to design the new 2 World Trade Center in May 2006. The structural engineer was WSP Cantor Seinuk. The tower was designed to resemble a diamond.
Excavation commenced in 2008. By May 2009, the Port Authority sought to reduce the size of 2 and 3 WTC. They also wanted to postpone the construction of 5 WTC. This was due to the Great Recession. Tower 2 foundation work began on June 1, 2010. Construction was halted in August 2012. The street-level foundation was finished by November 2012.
Bjarke Ingels Group redesigned 2 World Trade Center in 2015. In January 2020, Silverstein announced that he and Norman Foster were working together to update Foster’s original design.
Scale models of the building were revealed in September 2024. That month, Silverstein began negotiating with American Express. The deal would allow construction to resume.
The story of 2 World Trade Center is one of both tragedy and resilience. It embodies New York’s spirit. It stands as a testament to the city’s determination.