One World Trade Center
After the terrorist attack and the complete destruction of the Twin Towers in the World Trade Center, on 11th September 2001, there was a lot of debate on how to rebuild the site. By 2003, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation launched a competition to decide what to build on Ground Zero; this was the name given to the World Trade Center after its destruction. Skidmore, Owings & Merril won the competition and started to build the new World Trade Center on 27th April 2006.
Designed by David Childs, One World Trade Centre is 1776 feet tall, (about 540 metres) an allusion to the Declaration of Independence, adopted on 4th July 1776; it has 105 floors above ground level and 5 basement floors. It is the tallest building in the western World and the third tallest in the world.
Freedom Tower, as it is also called, was designed in compliance with the modern politics of sustainable architecture. Much of the materials used are recycled and 80% of the waste produced in the construction process is recyclable.
The building also feature the advanced technology of PureCell System, that generate some five million watts of clean power; it uses waste steam to heat the building and hydroelectric and wind power to generate electricity.
The windows are made of ultra-clear glass to let maximum light pass through, while the lights have dimmers that lower or raise the lights inside the building, depending on the intensity of the sunlight, so as to save energy.