World Trade Center Tower Three, also known as 175 Greenwich Street, occupies a unique position on the site: It stands centrally across Greenwich Street from the main axis formed by the two reflecting pools of the WTC Memorial. Architect Lord Richard Rogers and team have addressed this central position by accentuating the building vertically, using a diamond-shaped external bracing pattern.

The result is that from afar, the pattern and its four rooftop antennae distinguish 175 Greenwich Street among its neighboring towers and from within, the pattern allows all corners of the tower to be column-free, creating unimpeded panoramic views.

Tower Three’s design was unveiled by Governor George Pataki, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, developer Larry Silverstein, and other rebuilding officials in a September 8, 2006, press conference. Like the other WTC towers, Roger’s design features a reinforced steel-and-concrete core that encases its life-safety systems, creating a wholly secure structure that will be home to grand office entryways and retail and transit connections.

The tower also stands in line with the WTC master plan created by Daniel Libeskind, which specifies that the site’s architecture should form a descending spiral that draws attention and light to the Memorial plaza.

Tower Three will rise 71 stories (1,155 feet) and house 2.1 million square feet of office and 133,000 square feet of retail space. It will feature five trading floors, five retail levels (including two below grade), and mechanical floors at the base and crown of the building.

In designing the building, the tower’s architects sought to achieve the gold standard under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest energy efficiency rating.

Construction of Tower Three will begin in fall 2007, upon the Port Authority’s completion of the WTC’s new east “bathtub,” located between Church Street and the restored Greenwich Street. Developer Silverstein Properties expects to complete the building by 2011, or four years after the bathtub is made available.

Click here to view a slide show of Tower Two, 175 Greenwich Street.