One World Trade Center is the tallest building in North America. It stands on a 16-acre (6.5-hectare) site in lower Manhattan in New York City on the site of the former World Trade Center. The original World Trade Center was a building complex destroyed by a terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. One World Trade Center is the largest structure in a new building complex—also known as the World Trade Center—that replaced the destroyed complex. One World Trade Center was designed by architect David Childs of the American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The National September 11 Memorial Museum, within the new World Trade Center complex, opened in May 2014. One World Trade Center opened in November 2014.
The 104-story One World Trade Center stands 1,776 feet (541 meters) high, including a 408-foot (124-meter) spire. The 1,776-foot height is symbolic of the year 1776, the date when the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain (now also called the United Kingdom).
The base of One World Trade Center is a square measuring 200 feet (61 meters) on each side. The sides of the building are designed to create eight interlocked vertical triangles. The intention was to recall the profiles of New York City skyscrapers of the 1930’s and to provide a new symbol for the city at its southern edge. An observation deck located on floors 100 to 102 recaptures the view lost with the destruction of the original World Trade Center buildings. One World Trade Center also includes both private and government offices, parking, and broadcasting facilities. It was designed in a modern style, with a skeleton of structural steel. The design includes numerous safety features to protect structural systems and workers.
The new World Trade Center complex also includes 3 World Trade Center, which opened in 2018, and 4 World Trade Center, which opened in 2013. These two towers were designed by the British architect Sir Richard Rogers and the Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, respectively. The Transportation Hub, popularly known as the Oculus, opened in the complex in 2016. The hub was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The National September 11 Memorial was designed by the American architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker. The National September 11 Memorial Museum was designed by the Norwegian-American firm Snohetta. The Perelman Performing Arts Center, also part of the World Trade Center complex, opened in 2023.
