World Trade Center: Rise & Fall of an Icon

[Jeannette Latoria]

Criticism

Plans to build the World Trade Center were not without controversy. The site for the World Trade Center was the location of Radio Row, home to hundreds of commercial and industrial tenants, property owners, small businesses, and approximately 100 residents, many of whom fiercely resisted forced relocation.[51] A group of small businesses affected filed an injunction challenging the Port Authority's power of eminent domain.[52] The case made its way through the court system to the United States Supreme Court; the Court refused to accept the case.[53]

Private real estate developers and members of the Real Estate Board of New York, led by Empire State Building owner Lawrence A. Wien, expressed concerns about this much "subsidized" office space going on the open market, competing with the private sector when there was already a glut of vacancies.[54][55] Others questioned whether the Port Authority really ought to take on a project described by some as a "mistaken social priority."[56]

[Jeannette Latoria]

The World Trade Center design brought criticism of its aesthetics from the American Institute of Architects and other groups.[57][21] Lewis Mumford, author of The City in History and other works on urban planning, criticized the project and described it and other new skyscrapers as "just glass-and-metal filing cabinets."[58] The twin towers' narrow office windows, only 18 inches (460 mm) wide, were disliked by many for impairing the view from the buildings.[20]

The trade center's "superblock", replacing a more traditional, dense neighborhood, was regarded by some critics as an inhospitable environment that disrupted the complicated traffic network typical of Manhattan. For example, in his book The Pentagon of Power, Lewis Mumford denounced the center as an "example of the purposeless giantism and technological exhibitionism that are now eviscerating the living tissue of every great city."[59] On the other hand, Mr. Yamasaki saw the expanse as a focal point of serenity amidst the chaos of the city.

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For many years, the immense Austin J. Tobin Plaza was unwelcoming and often beset by brisk winds at the ground level.[60] In 1999, the outdoor plaza reopened after undergoing $12 million renovations which involved replacing marble pavers with gray and pink granite stones, adding new benches, planters, new restaurants, food kiosks and outdoor dining areas.[61] In later years, the plaza became a center for outdoor concerts and other activities.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Complex

The twin towers

With the construction of 7 World Trade Center in the 1980s, the World Trade Center had a total of seven buildings, but the most notable were the main twin towers, which each were 110 stories tall, stood over 1,350 feet high, and occupied about one acre (208.71 square feet) of the total 16 acres of the site's land. During a press conference in 1973, Minoru Yamasaki was asked, "Why two 110-story buildings? Why not one 220-story building?" His response was: "I didn't want to lose the human scale".[62]

When completed in 1972, 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) became the tallest building in the world for two years (Chicago's Sears Tower set a new record when completed in 1974), surpassing the Empire State Building after a 40-year reign. The North Tower stood 1,368 feet (417 m) tall and featured a telecommunications antenna or mast that was added at the top of the roof in 1978 and stood 360 feet (110 m) tall. With the 360-foot-tall antenna/mast, the highest point of the North Tower reached 1,728 ft. 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower) became the second tallest building in the world when completed in 1973. The South Tower's rooftop observation deck was 1,377 feet (420 m) high and its indoor observation deck was 1,310 feet (399 m) high [63]. The World Trade Center towers held the height record only briefly. Chicago's Sears Tower, finished in May 1973, reached 1,450 feet (442 m) at the rooftop.[64]

Of the 110 stories, eight were set aside for technical services in mechanical floors Level B5/B6 (floors 7/8, 41/42, 75/76, and 108/109), which are four two-floor areas evenly spaced up the building. All the remaining floors were free for open-plan offices. Each floor of the towers had 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of space for occupancy.[17] Each tower had 3.8 million square feet (350,000 m²) of office space. Altogether the entire complex of seven buildings had 11.2 million square feet (1.04 km²) of space.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Initially conceived as a complex dedicated to companies and organizations directly taking part in "world trade," they at first failed to attract the expected clientèle. During the early years, various governmental organizations became key tenants of the World Trade Center including the State of New York. It was not until the 1980s that the city's perilous financial state eased, after which an increasing number of private companies — mostly financial firms tied to Wall Street — became tenants. During the 1990s, approximately 500 companies had offices in the complex including many financial companies such as Morgan Stanley, Aon Corporation, Salomon Brothers and the Port Authority itself. The basement concourse of the World Trade Center included The Mall at the World Trade Center along with a PATH station.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Electrical service to the towers was supplied by Consolidated Edison (ConEd) at 13,800 volts. This service passed through the World Trade Center Primary Distribution Center (PDC) and sent up through the core of the building to electrical substations located on the mechanical floors. The substations "stepped" the 13,800 primary voltage down to 480/277 volt secondary power and further to 120/208 volt general power and lighting service. The complex also was served by emergency generators located in the sublevels of the towers and on the roof of 5 WTC.[65][66]

The 110th floor of 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) housed commercial and public service radio & television transmission equipment. The roof of 1 WTC contained a vast array of transmission antennas including the 360 ft (approx 110m) center antenna mast rebuilt in 1999 by Dielectric Inc. to accommodate DTV. The center mast contained the television signals for almost all NYC television broadcasters: WCBS-TV 2, WNBC-TV 4, WNYW 5, WABC-TV 7, WWOR-TV 9 Secaucus, WPIX 11, WNET 13 Newark, WPXN-TV 31 and WNJU 47. It also had four NYC FM broadcasters: WPAT-FM 93.1, WNYC 93.9, WKCR 89.9, and WKTU 103.5. Access to the roof was controlled from the WTC Operations Control Center (OCC) located in the B1 level of 2 WTC.

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 Arrangement of World Trade Center buildings at the site pre-9/11.

[Jeannette Latoria]

The lobby of the World Trade Center

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Although most of the space in the World Trade Center complex was off-limits to the public, the South Tower featured a public observation area called Top of the World Trade Center Observatories on its 107th floor. When visiting the observation deck, visitors would first pass through security checks added after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing[67] then were whisked to the 107th floor indoor observatory at a height of 1,310 feet. The Port Authority renovated the observatory in 1995, then leased it to Ogden Entertainment to operate. Attractions added to the observation deck included a simulated helicopter ride around the city. The food court was designed with a subway car theme.[68][69] Weather permitting, visitors could take two short escalator rides up from the 107th floor to an outdoor viewing platform at a height of 1,377 feet (420 m).[70] On a clear day, visitors could see up to 50 miles in any given direction.[68] An anti-suicide fence was placed on the roof itself, with the viewing platform set back and elevated above it, requiring only an ordinary railing and leaving the view unobstructed, unlike the observation deck of the Empire State Building.[69]

[Jeannette Latoria]

Midtown Manhattan from the observation deck of the south tower which received an estimated 80,000 visitors a day during the late 1990s.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Top of the World Trade Center Observatories


Top of the World Trade Center Observatories was a popular tourist attraction and observation deck on the 107th floor of 2 World Trade Center (former ZIP code of 10048), the South Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York City, which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Visitors were required to purchase tickets to gain admission onto the deck, which included installed seats and pedestal-mounted, coin-operated binoculars near the windows for close viewing.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Windows on the World restaurant

The North Tower had a restaurant on its 106th and 107th floors called Windows on the World, which opened in April 1976. The restaurant was developed by Joe Baum at a cost of more than $17 million.[71] Aside from the main restaurant, two offshoots were located at the top of the North Tower: "Hors d'Oeuvrerie" (offered a Danish smorgasbord during the day and sushi in the evening) and "Cellar in the Sky" (a small wine bar).[72] Windows on the World also had a wine school program run by Kevin Zraly. Windows on the World was closed following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[71] Upon reopening in 1996, Hors d'Oeuvrerie and Cellar in the Sky were replaced with the "Greatest Bar on Earth" and "Wild Blue".[72] In 2000, its last full year of operation, Windows on the World reported revenues of $37 million, making it the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States.[73]

[Jeannette Latoria]

Windows on the World.

[Jeannette Latoria]

Windows on the World was a restaurant and adjoining bar that operated between late 1972 and September 11, 2001 in New York City on top floors (106 and 107) of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It underwent a US$25 million renovation after the 1993 WTC bombing. In 2000, it reported revenues of US$37 million, making it the highest-grossing restaurant in the United States. [1]

Developed by Joe Baum and designed initially by Warren Platner, it occupied 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) and was located on the north side, allowing guests to look out onto the skyline of Manhattan. The restaurant was not only one of the most respected in New York, but due to the premium location also had high prices. The dress code required jackets for men and was strictly enforced - a man who arrived with a reservation but without a jacket was seated at the bar. [2]

[Jeannette Latoria]

The bar extended along the south side of World Trade Center 1 as well as the corner over part of the east side. The bar's dress code was more relaxed and it had average prices. The most popular time there was Happy Hour Wednesdays, when there was no cover charge.[citations needed]

Looking out from the bar through the full length windows, one could enjoy breath-taking views of the southern tip of Manhattan, where the Hudson and East Rivers meet. In addition, one could see the Liberty State Park with Ellis Island and Staten Island with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.