One World Trade Center

1591 Words4 Pages

Introduction One World Trade Center (WTC) is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere measuring up at 1776 feet tall. The built output sets new standards of design, construction, and prestige. Its beauty in New York City’s magical skyline makes it an icon. It is the most recognised and desirable office address in the world. In this essay I plan to argue that the social, political and economic status of society has affected the built output of this building considerably, for the good. Making the building one of the best skyscrapers in the world. Firstly I will provided a brief timeline of events beginning with the first WTC collapsing all the way to the built output of the new WTC. I will examine the political effects on the building followed by social and the economic. In conclusion I will state how and how much all these issues have affected the built output. September 11th, 2001, a catastrophic terrorist attack occurred destroying the WTC Twin Towers. From 2001-2014 the reconstruction of the World Trade Center produced pain, sweat and politics. In 2001 the lower Manhattan Development Corporation was formed to organise the reconstruction of the World Trade center. In 2002 the first designs for the WTC site were produced and put on display for the public. They were all rejected for not being inspiring. Later that year a competition was developed for architects all over the world to submit designs for the site. In 2003 David Childs is selected to design the WTC formally known as the Freedom Tower. Daniel Libeskind designs the master plan for the site as well as an initiated design of the One WTC. Late 2003 the plans for the building are revealed. In 2004 Mayor Michael Bloomberg lays a 20-ton slab made of granite at the ... ... middle of paper ... ...sion In conclusion, the designers and builders of the tower have an undesirable job: creating a building that is functional, modern, sustainable and unique. At the same time it is honoring the memory of the people that died in and around the buildings that stood there before. While the green sustainable features have been criticized for being too expensive, they will do more than save just water, electricity and emissions. They and the grace of the building will inspire a generation of green and safe skyscrapers for the twenty-first century. This building has become one of the safest, environmentally friendly and expensive ever built, but as critics slate the building for various reasons, one cannot take away the determination through political, social and economic status that designers and workers have created such a beautiful building with great meaning.

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