How the new One World Trade Center compares to the old Twin Towers (2024)

Immediately after 9/11 attacks, plans were set in motion to make the replacement better, more durable

Keith Dunlap, Digital Content Team, Graham Media Group

Even while the massive cleanup effort was going on after the Twin Towers were destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, plans were being formulated as to what the replacement to the towers would look like.

From the get-go, what would come next would be a symbol of not only the country’s resilience and ability to bounce back from the tragedy, but also of creativity and ingenuity.

On Nov. 3, 2014, more than a decade of planning and construction came to fruition when the One World Trade Center opened.

It is the tallest building of a World Trade Center complex that currently has four other smaller skyscrapers and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The newest architectural centerpiece of New York City, and arguably the world, the One World Trade Center wasn’t built on the same spot of the old towers, which actually were transformed into reservoirs.

So, how does it compare to the old Twin Towers?

Here are some facts and figures about One World Trade Center.

  • The building is 1,776 feet in height, which was by design to have some historical significance. The height pays tribute to the United States being born in 1776. The old Twin Towers were 1,368 feet.

  • One World Trade Center is the seventh-tallest building in the world.

  • The building has 104 stories, much of which is used for office space. The first 19 floors are a protective base, the 20th through 90th floors are for offices, the 90th through 100th floors are for mechanical purposes, while the 100th through 103rd floors are for observation decks and restaurants. The old Twin Towers had 110 floors.

  • One World Trade Center has a blast-resistant base specifically designed for suppression.

  • The 3-foot concrete slabs are designed to withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes and high winds.

  • There are 70 specially protected elevators.

According to architectmagazine.com, the enhanced design and anatomy of One World Trade Center is attributed to the time frame the old Twin Towers fell during the attacks.

In constructing the towers’ replacements, building experts weighed in on how future skyscrapers could better protect those inside and emergency responders, should another disaster occur.

Graham Media Group 2021

About the Author:
Keith Dunlap

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

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How the new One World Trade Center compares to the old Twin Towers (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between the World Trade Center and Twin Towers? ›

So, the main difference between the Twin Towers and Tower One is that the Twin Towers were part of the original World Trade Center complex and were destroyed in the September 11 attacks, while Tower One is part of the new World Trade Center complex that was built after the attacks.

How tall is the new World Trade Center compared to the old one? ›

From base to parapet, the building is also the same height as the twin towers – 1,368ft [417m] – before its crowning mast takes it up to the symbolic height of 1,776ft [541m], reflecting the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and making it the tallest tower in the western hemisphere.

How was the construction of the World Trade Center towers different from the construction of other skyscrapers? ›

The World Trade Center was built entirely on landfill. As a result, the site's foundations, including those of the Twin Towers, had to extend down to bedrock about 70 feet below street level. During construction, workers removed more than one million cubic yards of soil and rock from the site.

Is the new World Trade Center in the same spot? ›

The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center.

How tall were the twin towers compared to the One World Trade Center? ›

The roof of One World Trade Center reached to 1,368 feet (417 metres), and Two World Trade Center was 1,362 feet (415 metres) tall.

What is replacing the twin towers? ›

One World Trade Center officially opens in Manhattan on November 3, 2014. The new tower, along with the rest of the World Trade Center complex, replaced the Twin Towers and surrounding complex, which were destroyed by terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

How many floors is the new World Trade Center? ›

The building has 94 stories, with the top floor numbered 104. The new World Trade Center complex will have five high-rise office buildings built. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, located just south of One World Trade Center where the original Twin Towers stood, was also built.

How many buildings were destroyed on 9 11 in New York? ›

Along with the initial damage to the buildings' structural columns, this ultimately caused both towers to collapse. The five other buildings in the WTC complex were also destroyed because of damage sustained when the Twin Towers fell. The collapse of the buildings left the site devastated.

How tall are the towers at the Old World Trade Center? ›

The North Tower rose 1,368 feet—1,730 feet with a large antenna—and the South Tower stood 1,362 feet high. On a clear day, views extended 45 miles from the top of the towers in every direction—far enough to see all five New York City boroughs, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The towers were massive.

Why weren't the twin towers rebuilt? ›

Due to the completion of One, Three, and Four World Trade Center, as well as the memorial and museum, the project was very unlikely to be built. Bjarke Ingels, who was selected as the architect for Two World Trade Center's new design, stated that he would have rebuilt the World Trade Center if it were up to him.

Is the World Trade Center the same size as the Twin Towers? ›

Here are some facts and figures about One World Trade Center. The building is 1,776 feet in height, which was by design to have some historical significance. The height pays tribute to the United States being born in 1776. The old Twin Towers were 1,368 feet.

What building looks like the twin towers? ›

BOK Tower's lobby has marble walls and wall hangings similar to those in the former World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York. BOK Tower was built for the Williams Companies, whose CEO at the time, John Williams, was impressed by the Twin Towers and originally wanted to build two 25-story replicas in Tulsa.

Will they rebuild the twin towers? ›

The site is being rebuilt with up to six new skyscrapers, four of which have been completed; a memorial and museum to those killed in the attacks; the elevated Liberty Park adjacent to the site, containing the St.

Why isn t One World Trade Center taller? ›

The new One World Trade Center structural height is the exact height as the North Tower 1368 feet. The South Tower was six feet shorter because of the position of the bedrock foundation.

How long did it take to clean up 9 11? ›

How Long Did It Take To Clean Up 9/11? The initial cleanup period lasted for ten months. Work on Ground Zero was ongoing for 24 hours a day. By May, the last piece of steel was removed ceremonially, but the effects of the day would linger longer.

Were the Twin Towers a part of the World Trade Center? ›

The Twin Towers were the centerpieces of the World Trade Center complex. At 110 stories each, 1 WTC (North Tower) and 2 WTC (South Tower) provided nearly 10 million square feet of office space for about 35,000 people and 430 companies.

What's bigger than the Twin Towers? ›

Their floor counts were not matched until the construction of the Sears Tower, and they were not surpassed until the construction of the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010.

What made the twin towers unique? ›

The twin towers' design provided stability from the outside in—without a forest of interior support columns. Traditional skyscrapers owed their stability to a system of large vertical columns running through each floor at intervals of 15-30 feet, with the exterior walls providing little support on their own.

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