Three new WTC buildings unveiled

Designs for three office towers for the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan were revealed by developer Larry Silverstein and Gov. George Pataki just days before the fifth anniversary of 9/11. The skyscrapers, which total almost seven million sf of office and retail space, will surround an eight-acre memorial plaza and the Freedom Tower. Construction should be complete by 2011.

The first building to break ground will be a 61-story tower designed by architect Fumihiko Maki. The building, which Maki describes as “abstract minimalist” will be clad in perforated aluminum sandwiched between layers of glass. A four-story atrium pavilion will house restaurants and retail shops.

Norman Foster designed the tallest of the skyscrapers. His 78-story glass building appears to be four separate towers with diamond-shaped roofs. The building, however, is a single tower with three million sf and wide floor plates to house financial firms.

The third building, designed by Richard Rogers, features exposed diagonal bracing on its 71-story central tower and flanking wings, and is topped off with four spires.