Ground Zero: still a remarkable spot
For many years, the ever-present Twin Towers, once the tallest buildings in the world, had been stunning New York landmarks. Where the towers once stood there is now an impressive tribute to the victims of 9/11. The city is currently building new skyscrapers that will fill the hole in the New York skyline.
The pride of New York, the Twin Towers, were part of 7 buildings that comprised the World Trade Center. The towers were 110 stories high and housed the offices of hundreds of companies. On 11 September 2001, this all came to a tragic end when two hijacked airplanes crashed into the buildings.
Memorable tribute
Clearing the rubble of the buildings was a long and arduous job, but the optimistic New Yorkers immediately began to make plans to transform this location into a worthy memorial. Ten years after the attacks on 12 September 2011, the 9/11 Memorial was unveiled. Two water basins were created at the place where the Twin Towers once stood. Water flows down from the edges and brass plates around the basins are engraved with the names of all the victims. This is a moving and poignant site. The memorial also includes a museum which tells the story of that fateful day in September through text, image and sound.
The creation of new icons
The construction of a new World Trade Center is in full swing – 5 new towers are being built here. The highest tower is One World Trade Center which is almost complete. It offers 3,501,274 square feet (325,000 square metres) of space, spread out over 104 floors. The building measures 1776 feet (more than 500 metres) and is not only higher than the Twin Towers, but is now the tallest building in the Western hemisphere. The height was not chosen randomly: Congress passed the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776.