Complete History of the World Trade Center (WTC) America
Complete History of the World Trade
Center (WTC) America
The World Trade Center in New York
City (sometimes informally called the WTC or the Twin Towers) is a complex of
seven buildings, most of which were designed by Japanese-American architect
Minoru Yamasaki and built by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Its
construction was initiated by the Lower Manhattan Association founded and
chaired by David Rockefeller, with strong support from his brother, Nelson
Rockefeller, who later became governor of New York.
The complex, which is located in the
heart of the central financial district of New York City, has 1.24 million m²
of office space, nearly four percent of the total available office space in
Manhattan. The World Trade Center, known as the 110-floor Twin Towers,
experienced a fire on February 13, 1975 and a bomb attack on February 26, 1993.
The seven original buildings of the complex were destroyed in the September 11,
2001 attacks: WTC 1, WTC 2 (North and South Towers), and WTC 7 collapsed; WTC 3
(Marriott Hotel) was destroyed due to the collapse of WTC 1 and WTC 2; while
WTC 4, WTC 5, and WTC 6 suffered irreparable damage and were forced to destroy
it.
World Trade Center 1 (North Tower)
World Trade Center 1 or the North
Tower was completed and opened in 1972 and is 417 m (1,368 ft) high, and has a
telecommunications antenna on the roof that is 360 feet high. The building's
address is World Trade Center 1 with Zip Code 10048. This building was
destroyed along with the South Tower in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The
North Tower was the first tower to be hit by aircraft at 08:46 AM and the first
tower collapsed at 10:28 AM. Not a single survivor on the 92nd floor.
On the 106th and 107th floor of this
building is a famous restaurant called Windows in the world. Due to radiation
from radio and TV transmissions, the rooftop is only accessible to certain
staff.
World Trade Center 2 (South Tower)
World Trade Center 2 or the South
Tower was completed and opened in 1973 and is 415 meters (1,362 ft) high,
distinguished from the North Tower by an observation deck and the absence of a
television antenna. The building's address is World Trade Center 2 with Zip
Code 10048. This tower was destroyed along with the North Tower (World Trade
Center 1) in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The South Tower was the second
tower to be hit by an aircraft and this second tower collapsed at 10:05 am.
On the 107th floor of this building is
a popular tourist attraction called the Top of the World Trade Center
Observatories. The roof of the South Tower is a publicly accessible observation
deck and a helipad is located in the center of the roof.
World Trade Center 3 (Hotel Marriot
World Trade Center)
World Trade Center 3 or the Marriott
World Trade Center is a 22-storey hotel building with 825 rooms. It opened in
1981 as International Vista and is located in the World Trade Center Complex in
New York City. Vista was the brand name under which Hilton International hotels
operated in the United States during the period when they were a separate
entity from Hilton Hotels Corporation. The Vista Hotel was the first hotel to
open in Lower Manhattan since 1836. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings &
Merrill and originally owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The building was sold in 1995 to Host Marriott Corporation after Governors
George Pataki of New York and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey pressured
Port Authority officials to sell the less profitable assets.
The hotel is connected to the North
Tower and South Tower and many people go through the hotel to the Twin Towers.
The hotel owns several establishments including the Greenhouse Cafe, Tall Ships
Bar & Grill, Times Square Gift, The Russia House Restaurant and the ticket
booth for the Grayline New York sightseeing bus, a gym and a hair salon named
Olga. The hotel also has 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) of meeting space, and is
considered a four-diamond hotel by AAA.
World Trade Center 4
World Trade Center 4 is a low, 9-story
office building on the southeast corner of the World Trade Center Complex in
Lower Manhattan, New York City. The building was damaged by the September 11,
2001 attacks and later destroyed.
The main building tenants are Deutsche
Bank (Floors 4, 5 and 6) and the New York Council of Commerce (Floors 7,8 and
9).
World Trade Center5
World Trade Center 5 is a low 9-story
building. It was built in 1970-1972 in New York's World Trade Center. The
building suffered extensive damage and partial collapse of the upper floors as
a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The entire building was destroyed
in January 2002 as part of the World Trade Center demolition project.
WTC 5 is a steel framed office
building. This building structure is “L” shaped and occupies the northeast
corner of the World Trade Center complex. Overall dimensions are 330 by 420