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| Freedom Tower |
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| Freedom Tower July 29, 2008 |
The Port Authority is making progress on the Freedom Tower. Located at the northwest corner of the World Trade Center, installation of steel columns continues as the concrete is being poured to form the tower’s base.
The skyscraper is being built according to a revised design released in June 2005. The new design retains essential elements of the original plan-- soaring 1,776 feet into the sky, its illuminated mast evoking the Statue of Liberty's torch -- but features a smaller, cubic base set back further from West Street to protect the building against future attacks.
Rising from its square base -- which will be constructed of impermeable concrete and steel -- the redesigned Freedom Tower will taper into eight tall isosceles triangles, forming a perfect octagon at its center. An observation deck will be located 1,362 feet above ground and there will be a square glass parapet at 1,368 feet, the heights of the original Twin Towers. From these, an illuminated spire containing a television antenna will rise to a final height of 1,776 feet.
Other key elements include; 2.6 million square feet of office space, tenant amenity spaces, world-class restaurants, below-grade retail, and access to the PATH, subway, and World Financial Center.
To learn more about this project, please click here.
To view a slide show of the latest Freedom Tower renderings, click here.
View animations of the Revised Freedom Tower:
For details about the earlier stages of this project, click here.
Locate this project on the Interactive Transportation Map.
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Daily Activities
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*The following information was last updated on September 26, 2008.
- Installation of tower-foundation steel columns (two cranes on site); superstructure reached grade in July 2008
- Pouring concrete for the foundation and rebar installation for core and sheer wall
- Utility installation and tie-ins
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Contact Info
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For more information about the Freedom Tower, including leasing information, contact Mr. Dara McQuillan, communications director at Silverstein Properties: (212) 551-7352 or dmcquillan@silvprop.com.
The contact person for leasing is Thomas Maher 212-435-6531 e-mail tmaher@panynj.gov.
More information about the building and entire World Trade Center site can be found at www.wtc.com.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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When will the Freedom Tower open?
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The Freedom Tower is currently scheduled to open in 2011. The finished structure will include 2.6 million square feet of office space, an observation deck, restaurants, and broadcast and antennae facilities. Underground, there will be retail shops and access to the PATH rapid-transit system, as well as a passageway to the World Financial Center.
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Why did work on the Freedom Tower take so long to start?
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Building the world’s tallest structure, as one might imagine, is a very complex project. One significant delay was the three-month-long redesign of the tower in spring 2005, to better accommodate security measures at street level. However, preliminary construction on the Freedom Tower started on July 4, 2004, and crews have worked steadily since then to prepare the site.
As of fall 2006, the tower's designs are 100 percent complete, and Tishman Construction crews are now working in full force.
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What are some of the Freedom Tower's safety features?
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To address security concerns, the redesigned building's setback distance from West Street has been increased from 25 feet to an average of 90 feet, and its cubic base will be constructed of impermeable concrete and steel. Additionally, the building will feature advanced life safety systems that exceed the city building code, structural redundancy, extra-strong fireproofing, and biological and chemical filters in the air supply system. There will also be extra-wide pressurized staircases, low-level emergency lighting, and interconnected redundant exits. Finally, emergency communication cables will facilitate enhanced emergency response, and there will be a dedicated staircase for use by firefighters and "areas of refuge" on every floor.
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How is the Freedom Tower using environmentally conscious systems?
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The Freedom Tower will use the latest technologies to maximize efficiency and minimize waste and pollution in both its construction and eventual operation. It is being built according to World Trade Center Sustainable Design Guidelines and will, at a minimum, conform to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. According to architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, “Specific achievements of the Freedom Tower will include use of renewable energy for at least 20 percent of the building’s energy needs; state-of-the-art energy conservation technology to reduce energy demand; better interior “daylighting” and views of the outside for occupants due to ultra-clear glass technology; improved indoor air quality due to outside-air ventilation and use of building materials without toxic materials such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs); water conservation due to reuse of rainwater for building cooling and irrigation; reduction of vehicular traffic via proximity to public transportation and provision of facilities for bicycle commuters; waste reduction through recycling of construction debris and use of recycled-content building materials; natural resource protection via use of sustainably harvested wood; and cleaner air in the community due to use of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuels and particulate filters on construction vehicles, for which the EPA has already given Silverstein Properties (the tower’s developer) a 2004 Environmental Quality Award.”
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Click here for answers to commonly asked construction questions. |
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