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Winter Garden reopens
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The 10-story marble and glass Winter Garden atrium reopened to the public yesterday following an intensive yearlong restoration effort. A prominent Lower Manhattan landmark and the centerpiece of the World Financial Center complex, the Winter Garden was severely damaged following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. It is the first major building damaged in the September 11 attack to be completely restored.
"The reopening of the Winter Garden is an example of how we can take a piece of Lower Manhattan that was already spectacular and make it even more so," said Madelyn Wils, Chairperson of Community Board 1. "It has been a real boost to the people of Lower Manhattan, especially those in Battery Park City who have been through so much. It's great to have such a positive step forward."
Battery Park City resident Felix Orraca, one of the many New Yorkers on hand for the reopening, echoed Wils' sentiments. "I live in Battery Park City and worked at 7 World Trade Center, so this was my commute," said Orraca. "I would walk along the water and then cut through the Winter Garden on my way to the World Trade Center plaza. It's nice to see it open again. It signifies another step toward the goal of putting all of it back together again."
When the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, the east side of the 45,000-square foot Winter Garden was covered in a 55-foot pile of debris. Many thought the Winter Garden would be gone forever, but its owners, Brookfield Properties, vowed to rebuild, and set an ambitious goal of having the Winter Garden ready to reopen one year later.
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New Yorkers enjoy the newly restored atrium
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Brookfield Properties kept its promise, and thanks to the efforts of more than 500 workers, the Winter Garden has reopened right on schedule. Work completed during the complex and intensive restoration included the replacement of 2,000 glass panes, sixteen 43-foot-tall Washingtonia palm trees and 60,000 square feet of Italian marble. Much of the marble was used to rebuild the Winter Garden's grand staircase, the focal point of the atrium, which originally opened in 1988.
At an unveiling ceremony on September 5, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called the reconstruction of the Winter Garden "an absolute triumph for the people of New York and a major step forward in the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan."
Before September 11, a 400-foot long pedestrian bridge extending from the Winter Garden atrium connected Battery Park City to the World Trade Center and the rest of downtown. When the bridge was destroyed in the attacks, the original Winter Garden architect, Cesar Pelli, and his son, Rafael, chose to design a new eastern entrance to the atrium. The new sheer glass facade faces West Street and the World Trade Center site.
"When we first started restoring the east wall, we looked at what was there before - a granite wall similar to the exterior of the World Financial Center," said Rafael Pelli, a partner at Cesar Pelli & Associates. "We designed the new facade as a way of making the Winter Garden more of a destination and a passageway to the Hudson River. Now, the Winter Garden can face the city in a way that it never did before and can serve not only as a public space for workers to use during the week, but also for residents to use on the weekends."
The new Winter Garden will continue to serve in its role as a prominent Lower Manhattan performance space. A performance by the renowned dance troupe Ailey II will take place on October 2, followed by a series of music, dance and children's programs, all free to the public. These events are sponsored by the World Financial Center Arts and Events Program.
Starting October 17 and running through November 30, artists Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Marina Rosenfeld and Ben Rubin will take turns performing their eclectic works as part of a free Sonic Garden installation.
For more information on these and other upcoming events being held at the Winter Garden, click here.
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