April 12, 2006
The views from atop the rebuilt 7 World Trade Center
In conjunction with Open House New York, architects from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill last night led tours of 7 World Trade Center, the first new building ready to open at Ground Zero.
The 52-story building replaces the 47-story WTC 7 that collapsed in the afternoon of September 11, 2001. Located to the north of where the Twin Towers stood, the new building is taller but has a smaller footprint, allowing for a public park and room for Greenwich Street to extend south, rather than dead-end like it did at the old WTC 7.
Architects have been working on the new building since October 2001, when developer Larry Silverstein called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and said he was ready to rebuild, according to Chris Cooper, a senior designer for the project.
From 715 feet up on the top floor -- an executive floor for offices for all tenant companies' VIPs -- the space is dominated by the Woolworth Building, which can be seen from three-quarters of the floor. Oddly enough it actually feels closer from the Hudson River side of the building, as it dominates the view with all the lesser buildings disappearing.
Just like before, the first 10 floors of 7 World Trade Center houses a Consolidated Edison electrical substation but above that the building's exterior is all clear glass (which was dirty on the 52nd floor during the tour.)
 During the tour there was no ignoring the fact that the building was designed with the terror attacks in mind. Not only is the southern view dominated by Ground Zero, but many of the building's features were designed to resist disaster.
The building has a concrete core with wide stairwells and separate antennas for fire, police, Port Authority and civilian cell phone communication. Each floor of the stairwell will have space for two carry chairs, making it easier to transport anyone injured or debilitated.
The lobby is blast-resistant, with two sheets of glass sandwiched around plastic, which will act like auto safety glass and shatter, but not fly.
The building, with a gold rating for environmentally friendly design, is nearly ready for occupancy, although only a few tenants have signed on.
 Meanwhile, rebuilding progress remains contentious at the main WTC site, and even to the immediate northeast of WTC 7 sits the still-damaged City University of New York building, Fiterman Hall.
Its demolition is scheduled to begin in late spring.
WTC 7 was designed and constructed independently of the main World Trade Center design process, but Cooper told his tour group that architect David Childs hoped "this building would be about setting the tone for what's to come."
The tour was organized by Open House New York, which holds its big two-day event on October 7 and 8 this year.
 In addition to the big event, in which more than 175 mostly private spaces are open to the public for free, OHNY does a few small tours and events throughout the year like the one yesterday evening. You need to join OHNY's mailing list to learn about the events before they sell out.
Although the building is closed to the public, the lobby and its artwork are easily visible from the park in front. A giant screen in the lobby scrolls quotations about New York City. Designed by artist Jenny Holzer, the words roll by in a loop with no phrase repeated for eight hours.
Update: Curbed hears from a reader on an OHNY tour who learned the top floor is actually what most people would consider the 47th floor, but the architects' version of new math allows it to be called 52. See Curbed for details.
Earlier: Wall of words installed at World Trade Center 7
Freedom Tower opening delayed to end of 2011 - NYT
Chinese firm leases five top floors of WTC 7 - Crain's
Tribute Center begins Ground Zero tour program
More pictures from Open House New York
Open House NY roundup: peeping behind closed doors
Exploring secret Ellis Island during Open House NY
Ellis Island hospital, Navy Yard on Open House NY list
Ground Zero, to go or not?
April 12, 2006 09:08 AM in Architecture, Downtown, Sightsology
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