NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by MadGnome

They didn't have any trouble counting those pencils on the Petronas towers which were added on in a ridiculous attempt to take the title from the Sears tower.

Nor did they have trouble counting The Chrysler building in its day. Same skinny spire counted for the same reason as the Petronas... Because they were designed as part of the original building as a natural conclusion of the lines of the top of the tower, they were permanent structures and their main function was for aesthetics not broadcasting. Petronas beat Willis fairly to its highest architectural top for all the same reasons. Just as Chrysler beat its competitors in its day.

(The exact reasons the antennas on the Willis building never count to its official height. They were added later and can be changed at any time for added height and are strictly for broadcast.)

[NYguy]

They are leaning in favor of ruling it a spire. The symbolic height of 1,776 ft is what will be the bigger loss as far as the PA is concerned. It's very interesting that initially, both Durst and the PA insisted the official height designation was no big deal. But there is a certain prestige with laying claim as "America's tallest", I think it helps to inflate the rents. Suddenly they're all on board with insisting this thing count as part of the height.


The first part of the Freedom Tower that we watched begin construction will open Thursday.


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...since_911.html

WTC walkway to reopen Thursday for first time since 9/11





Steve Strunsky
October 23, 2013

A walkway that linked the World Trade Center site to the old World Financial Center and the Hudson River waterfront will reopen on Thursday for the fist time since the walkway was damaged on 9/11, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday.

The Port Authority said restoration of the "key pedestrian link will improve access for tens of thousands of daily travelers," many of whom use the New York Waterway Ferry Terminal at the financial center, across the Hudson River from Jersey City.

Known as the West Concourse, the underground walkway will let travelers cross the Lower Manhattan's broad and heavily traveled West Street unhindered by traffic or weather.

[r18tdi]

I'd have no problem counting WTC1's spire... if it were well-designed and attractive.
It's a hideous utility mast; designed to an entirely arbitrary patriotic footage.

[WonderlandPark]

Maybe going up to the rings will be the compromise. Its an antenna, its awful. IMO antennas and spires needs to be revisited (look at NY Times, that is a stick on a building, I don't care if it broadcasts anything, it is not the architectural top of that building, NY Times is a 900 footer)

[gramsjdg]

Originally Posted by NYguy

They are leaning in favor of ruling it a spire.

...probably because Durst is paying them off

counting 1WTC's unclad and hence unfinished spire is beyond ridiculous

[drumz0rz]

I mean, he pocketed $15 million by cutting the radome, so he has plenty of money to buy out the CTBUH

[sw5710]

Do they have a reputation of favoring projects, or have even been payed off on other ones before?

[The North One]

Its such a joke that they're willing to count 1WTC's spire but Sears tower's fully clad iconic white antennas are totally out of the question.

Once again Chicago gets f*%ked out of a tallest title by a technicality.

[Onn]

The new glass pavilion creates a seamless pedestrian link between the World Trade Center site and the New York Waterway Ferry Terminal. It serves as Brookfield Place’s stunning new front door, welcoming workers, visitors and residents.

Brookfield Place is now connected to the WTC PATH station, completely underground!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...4607352&type=1

[nyc7]

Nice photo sequence onn

The new walkway looks good. Im glad they decided construct MOST of this complex with quality building materials

[Traynor]

We have seen images of this space many times throughout construction from this same vantage point, but I have never been clear what it is.

To the eye, the lower level it looks like it goes nowhere. Just a large open space. The upper level is never described nor mentioned where it leads.

For all those outside of New York and unfamiliar of the geography of the underground WTC, perhaps someone who is knowledgeable could describe the layout. Perhaps by explaining the direction we are looking (I assume Easterly), the way the corridor connects to the PATH Station and 1WTC etc...

[jd3189]

This is a mere foretaste compared to what the WTC transportation hub will look like.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Traynor

We have seen images of this space many times throughout construction from this same vantage point, but I have never been clear what it is.

To the eye, the lower level it looks like it goes nowhere. Just a large open space. The upper level is never described nor mentioned where it leads.

For all those outside of New York and unfamiliar of the geography of the underground WTC, perhaps someone who is knowledgeable could describe the layout. Perhaps by explaining the direction we are looking (I assume Easterly), the way the corridor connects to the PATH Station and 1WTC etc...

It's basically the area between the Freedom Tower and the memorial. That is the view east (memorial on the left).

In this animation, it will be visible at :32 (walking west)

• Video Link

[Traynor]

Ok, I've seen that video before but as I mentioned, the photo has a wall at the end (now I know it to be a temporary construction wall) but if the walkway is open now, where does it go if it ends at a construction wall?

[Blaze23]

Originally Posted by Traynor

Ok, I've seen that video before but as I mentioned, the photo has a wall at the end (now I know it to be a temporary construction wall) but if the walkway is open now, where does it go if it ends at a construction wall?

The temporary PATH station, there's an opening towards the end of the walkway.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Yankee fan for life

That roof height comparison diagram between Willis/Sears, and 1wtc is way off Willis/Sears is not that much taller than 1wtc, especially with 1wtc communication platform ring the two are only a 50 foot height difference!

I find it strange that both the original twins *as well as* the new One World Trade Center didn't surpass the Sears/Willis in roof height. Granted the twins were built prior, but still. Seems that no matter how tall New York builds, we can't surpass the roof height of the Willis Tower in Chicago.

I personally believe the CTBUH should rule against the "spire". At one point it was nice, but then it was stripped of anything even remotely architecturally-related, and it deserves the demotion. It is nothing more than a skeletal mast erected for the purposes of broadcasting, period. I'm willing to put aside my pride to be honest.

At least we will have 432 Park Ave.

[Traynor]

Originally Posted by Yankee fan for life

That roof height comparison diagram between Willis/Sears, and 1wtc is way off Willis/Sears is not that much taller than 1wtc, especially with 1wtc communication platform ring the two are only a 50 foot height difference!

Agreed. Using the Diagrams page it is clear they are way closer:

[eleven=11]

Originally Posted by Traynor

Ok, I've seen that video before but as I mentioned, the photo has a wall at the end (now I know it to be a temporary construction wall) but if the walkway is open now, where does it go if it ends at a construction wall?

also just wondering about the retail and what it looks like
along that long hallway/walkway
is there a PDF file or web page that shows the retail layout
also that second level is that more retail ?

[MadGnome]

Originally Posted by Traynor

We have seen images of this space many times throughout construction from this same vantage point, but I have never been clear what it is.

To the eye, the lower level it looks like it goes nowhere. Just a large open space. The upper level is never described nor mentioned where it leads.

For all those outside of New York and unfamiliar of the geography of the underground WTC, perhaps someone who is knowledgeable could describe the layout. Perhaps by explaining the direction we are looking (I assume Easterly), the way the corridor connects to the PATH Station and 1WTC etc...

It's been there for 5 years.



You can tell which way you're looking by the fact that the south wall is the short one.

Originally Posted by NYguy
From Action Jackson

[Gargarensis]

For those confused about the layout of the West Concourse, here is a map from the Tribeca Citizen:

You can see that the West Concourse connects to the temporary PATH station via a detour off the man east-west axis of the passageway.