WTC 7 tops out

Under cloudy autumn skies, the first World Trade Center tower to be rebuilt after the destruction of September 11, 2001, officially reached its peak. The 750-foot-tall 7 World Trade Center was crowned with the final steel beam in a ceremony hosted by developer Larry Silverstein, whose Silverstein Properties will be the tower's first tenant upon its completion late next year.

Silverstein was joined by public- and private-sector VIPs including Gov. George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Lower Manhattan Development Corporation President Kevin Rampe, architect David Childs, and Tishman Construction CEO Daniel Tishman - who each commended the hard work and swift, steady pace of the tower's thousands of workers, many of whom attended the event.

"7 World Trade Center was the last building to fall on September 11th, but I am proud that it is the first building to return and mark our progress in the rebuilding process," said Pataki, who praised Silverstein for his resolve in erecting the tower on an aggressive timeline that is currently one month ahead of schedule. He added, "To the construction workers: You are the best, we thank you, and keep it up."

Bloomberg said, "In addition to the unmistakable message we send to the world through the rebuilding effort, the return of 7 World Trade Center will serve as a vital economic boost for Lower Manhattan and the region, and will prove to be an inviting gateway to the full World Trade Center site."

The cranes atop orange-clad 7 WTC today raised its final steel beam

One major way in which the new 7 WTC differs from the original is in its redesigned footprint, which will no longer block off Greenwich Street. This design strategy is part of the greater plan to restore the street grid through the WTC's 16 acres and creates space for a triangular park at Vesey and Greenwich Streets.

Notable for the speed with which it has risen, the new tower also is setting high standards in environmentally sound construction and sustainability. It was designed by the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architectural team (led by Childs) to be the first New York City office building to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (or "LEED") certification -- as will the Freedom Tower and future WTC buildings.

"Not only will this building and its park serve as the gateway to the World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan," said Childs. "We believe it will set a new standard of commercial building design and construction in New York and across the country."

The tower will meet LEED requirements in several ways, including for collecting rainwater for cooling the building and irrigating the park; using recycled material in construction and recycling refuse in the building process, and incorporating the latest glass technology to conserve energy and provide more natural light for tenants.

Pataki, Bloomberg, Silverstein, and others signed the commemorative beam

Tishman Construction is responsible for putting Silverstein and Child's lofty design plans to work throughout the tower's 1.7 million square feet. The company built the original 7 WTC, which topped out in 1986 under the direction of Daniel Tishman's father, John.

Daniel Tishman said at the ceremony, "On behalf of all the construction workers and the Tishman management team here at 7 World Trade Center, we appreciate this historic opportunity to build 7 again to even higher standards than before, and today's topping out marks a significant milestone in achieving those objectives."

To read more about 7 World Trade Center, please click here.