Stripping away some superfluous symbolism. (Skyscraper Page)
Whether poetic, patriotic or pathetic, Daniel Liebeskind’s plan to render the height of 1 World Trade Center at 1,776 feet—a nod to our nation’s declaration of independence—was one of the most remarked upon pieces of his plan for the project. In fact, after Skidmore Owings & Merrill took over the design from Mr. Liebeskind, who is now merely the master planner, about the only element of his design that remained at 1 World Trade was that the top of the tower would reach 1,362, the same as the original towers, and it would have a spire climbing further to that symbolic height of 1,776 feet.
It turns out the tower will be even taller, and we have Mother Nature to thank for that.
The World Trade Center is Now Totally Above Ground >>
A diagram for the 400-foot aerial appendage appeared in Architectural Record last week, and it showed an eight-foot protrusion atop the antenna. According to a source working at the site, it is a lightning rod. “There is a sense a lighting strike could be huge, so we have to protect against that,” this person said. Indeed, lightning has been an issue for decades at the Empire State Building.
Eight extra feet. (Architectural Record)
An eagle-eyed contributor at the Skyscraper Page noted that this could actually push the tower to 1,787 feet, if measured from the north side of the building. For the history buffs, that would be an equally or even more significant historical date: the creation of the U.S. Constitution. But our source said that would likely not be the case for two reasons.
First, the height of the tower is being measured from the midway point of the ground floor, not one side or the other. This was the point chosen by the designers because “we had to pick something,” the source said, not only to get the building built but for the purposes of having it measured by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which is the official arbiter of building heights worldwide. That means the new height would only be 1,784 feet. Second, and more importantly, the lightning rod has not even been designed yet. It could be two feet tall or eleven feet, one rod or a dozen.
How Hurricane Irene Helped the 9/11 Memorial Open On Time >>
Still, according to our source, even from a bird’s eye view, the lightning rod (or rods) would be all but imperceptible, lost in the scale of the spire and likely obscured by the flashing of an FAA-mandated warning light. “The sense is those things are so fine, you don’t even perceive them,” the source said.
As for that FAA beacon, it will be perched at the very top of the antenna proper—at a height of 1,776 feet. Call it the Beacon of Independence.
mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC
Matt is The Observer's real estate editor. Follow Matt on Twitter or via RSS. mchaban@observer.com
How I wish they had rebuilt the towers- what a shame they didn’t! smokersodysseycom
The towers are quite visible and being built. Where have you been?
i think he means the original… the twin towers.
I totally agree, all they had to do was make the new building look like the old one. Now we have a fortress and two huge pools where we had public open spaces
That’s what I was thinking too.
typical american- can get it for free (or come to conclusion about plans)- than cheat!!
WTF are you even talking about??? Typical foreigners….STUPID as Hell.
Will the antenna be used to Transmit all the local TV stations? The downing of the Twin Towers combined with the Digital conversion has killed my Reception.
Thousands of people died and you’re bitching about your TV reception?? Go sign up for cable you idiot
Why would I cave to the Cable monopoly.. idiot.
thousands die every day over circumstances beyond their control. Americans love to dwell on this. Heck If Normany put up a memorial everywhere people died in that country, ther ewouldn’t be any land left to live.
Did you happen to use the tin foil from your antenna on your hat?
These were not “normal” every day deaths. They were attacked. Obviously you are someone that does not deserve to live here. I don’t give a rat’s ass about Normandy. That’s not MY home.
Silverstein is going to get more money or his fair share of the 99 year
lease anyway…. So will it create jobs? or will people be scared to
work in the building and pass the opportunity for a position in One
Freedom Tower (formerly WTC area).
I agree with you and it is a shame that we have brain-dead folks in society. That is the balance of genius, rocket-scientist, and idiots. Too many folks died there and they really should have built a memorial there…
But they did build the memorial in the original foot prints
And if you never rebuild anywhere then that shows more fear
SAme here too. NY area needs another broadcast antenna after the WTC was destroyed. Been a boom for cable operators.
Normally, aren’t buildings measured from the streetside base of the front entrance? The midway point of the bottom floor could have several levels and be more subject to settlement, right?
i have always considered counting the antenna cheating in these height wars.
And some of the
picket wire against a pigeons would add another inch.
what’s with architects and putting penises on top of buildings . empire state, chrysler, and now wtc. theres this weird obsession with “who has the longest erection” when it comes to these needle top buildings.
It is a small tragedy the twin towers were never rebuilt…a dozen or more floors higher than the original 110. However, these things are so minor compared to the human tragedy of the event. The sad thing is the dedicated integrated high-tech communications system that would have saved many firefighters, policemen and women and other first responders still does not exist!!!!!
Our Congress is too busy trying to destroy the EPA, Planned Parenthood and raising taxes on the working classes by elliminating in many states the Earned Income Tax Credit. So much for Grover’s pledge. I’m still waiting for a jobs bill but the economy is the last thing they care to fix.
Have they tested all the welded connections by a licensed reliable firm .Is the building sprinklered ? The twins towers where not sprinklered tfor may years because the Port cliamed that NYC codes did not apply to them .
That means with all the hype and publicity; we can actually have better cellular fone service as well as bold pigeons flying, walking into cars and traffic like most of the pedestrians that bump into others while texting. What is wrong with this picture?
Silverstein is going to get more money or his fair share of the 99 year lease anyway…. So will it create jobs? or will people be scared to work in the building and pass the opportunity for a position in One Freedom Tower (formerly WTC area).
Time will tell….
For what it’s worth, Silverstein gave up control of 1 WTC three years ago.
Great! A One World (Order) Trade Center with its China Center, from whence the Chinese can buy up Americana, to replace two towers of America economic prominence. I’m glad it’s not called the Freedom Tower; the new name is more apt. Bloomberg needs to be recalled for wanting to support the mosque at Ground Zero, the campaign fiasco, and the wanting to keep clerics and names of the deceased out of 9/11 events…amongst other things.