The World Trade Center

On April 4^th, 1973, the World Trade Center, a massive business compound situated on 16 acres in Lower Manhattan, was ceremonially opened, featuring a ribbon-cutting and a slot on public television. The two main towers, scraping the sky at 1,362 and 1,368 feet and boasting 110 floors each, far surpassed the height of any of their modern counterparts. Over the course of the next 30 years, this hub, with four smaller buildings, a huge mall, and its own zip code, would be the workplace for over 50,000 people, and an international tourist landmark for 200,000 more (1).

The construction of the Twin Towers.

Arial view of the World Trade Center in March of 2001.

But we can’t admire the towers in all of their enormous beauty, and the numbers above are just that — numbers. We can only appreciate them through a screen, a photograph, or a story from a family member. We are forced to imagine the glint of the sun on the grid of windows that make up the buildings’ outside, the sea of observers at their base, and the magnificence of the buildings against the watery backdrop. We will never be able to physically see the twin giants change color with the rising and setting of the sun, look out over the island of Manhattan from the breathtaking top-floor observatory, or while walking down the street, notice a man scaling the space between the two towers via tightrope. We cannot, because on September 11^th, 2001, a terrorist organization by the name of Al-Qaeda, with the assistance of two 747 jets, intentionally demolished the World Trade Center in its entirety. Not only were the WTC buildings and immediate area destroyed, but upwards of 3,000 lives and the strength of a city, and nation, were as well (2).

The second tower is hit by a plane on September 11th, 2001.

Lower Manhattan engulfed in smoke on September 11th, 2001.

We can, however, experience the reborn version. Fast-forward fourteen years, more than a decade after New York City was brutally attacked. It is now 2015, and what was formerly the location of the Twin Towers has been transformed into a memorial, museum, transportation center called “Oculus” that resembles an archaic fish of some sort, and a new WTC building that stands tall, resilient, and overwhelmingly futuristic. Trees, benches, and in-ground lights speckle the open space between the elements of the plaza, giving tourists, and natives, a place to relax and be with their thoughts in such a sensitive spot. Groups of people are seen slowly following the perimeter of the pools while some individuals mourn and some thoughtfully reflect, and businessmen walk around the newly constructed buildings around the area. It’s an odd feeling at first, seeing the historical pre-war architecture of the surrounding surviving edifices next to the mirrored shells of the newborn ones; but the beauty of rebirth overpowers that impression (3).

Instead of succumbing to fear and letting the enemy have the satisfaction of destruction, two memorial pools were installed using the towers’ original foundations, letting observers experience a serene yet emotional moment filled with trickling water, calming lights, and the view of the location that was not so long ago an atrocity. They radiate a sense of infinity, as the water falls continually into the two vast squares, a sense of rebirth, as the water represents purity, and a sense of remembrance, as the names of all who were lost during the attacks create an engraved border for the two pools. That isn’t all though. To the east of the commemorative pools is the brand spankin’ new One World Trade Center, a tribute to (and stronger-than ever version of) the late Twin Towers. The pyramid-inspired colossus is reportedly “The safest building in New York City”, and is the third tallest structure in the world.  If you want, you can even spend $32 to visit the WTC’s observation deck, and even dine in one of its restaurants (for an extra cost, of course). Ground Zero has an all-around resilient and fit-for-the-future feel, and lets the grandeur and memory of the original World Trade Center live on (4).

An aerial view of one of the memorial pools at Ground Zero.

One has to remember, though, that the site is still a huge trigger for those who suffer from PTSD caused by the 9/11 attacks, and on a slightly lower level, extremely emotional for those who remember the events unfolding. I know of a few people, as I’m sure many people who live in New York City do as well, who cannot physically visit Ground Zero due to its ability to bring back the horrific happenings of September 11^th, 2001. Some want to maintain the memory of the pre-attack era World Trade Center, and not let the renovation remind them of the solemn day. Most of them have told me that one day, they will be able to revisit the site, when they feel that they are ready. Others find comfort in following the streams of water that collect in the two square pools, and the immensity of the buildings that take the place of the previous structures. Solidarity and commemoration are the connecting goals of the 23 million visitors that the memorial has accommodated, and the future goals of those who cannot presently do so (5).

In the midst of a new wave of terrorism, Ground Zero is a reminder of our nation’s ability to overcome the worst of incidents, and will be developed even further in the coming years. Two World Trade Center (One World Trade Center’s fraternal twin resembling several cubes stacked on top of one another) and Three World Trade Center are set to debut in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Even the area around the site has flourished, boasting a four-fold rise in residents since 2001, newly opened hotels and schools, and will be welcoming The Associated Press in 2017, which currently is situated in the Midtown area (6). The World Trade Center has surely bounced back from the horrifying, devastating terrorist attacks, and 14 years and $4 billion later has had a positive, if not boosting effect on the general area. As Machiavelli once said, “The ends justify the means.”

1. http://www.skyscraper.org/TALLEST_TOWERS/t_wtc.htm
2. https://www.wtc.com/about/history
3. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/10/world-trade-center-911-attacks-freedom-tower/71995664/
4. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/10/world-trade-center-911-attacks-freedom-tower/71995664/
5. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/nyregion/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-from-911still-haunts.html?_r=0
6. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/10/world-trade-center-911-attacks-freedom-tower/71995664/