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  #701  
Old Posted Jun 5, 2015, 5:21 PM
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Originally Posted by MolsonExport View Post
I distinctly recall an escalator ride to the roof (outdoor observation) of the original WTC, from the souvenir/snack bar/indoor observatory several stories below (107th level?).


Edit: ah, my recollections are correct.
Indeed, the indoor observatory was at 1,310 feet, 67 feet below the outdoor observatory.
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  #702  
Old Posted Jun 19, 2015, 8:30 AM
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I have read several sources that said the rooftop promenade was 1,377 feet above SEA LEVEL. Now I know from a few sources on forums (one of them being STR) that street level of the World Trade Center was 10 feet above sea level so thus that would mean that the rooftop promenade was 1,367 feet above street level. I also came across an article online from 1975 (when the outdoor deck opened) that said the promenade was 12 feet above the roof, now given the sloping hat truss nature of the roof I assume that is 12 feet above the portion of the roof directly underneath the promenade (if you look at pictures it does look like it was 12 feet above) and not the higher center of the roof that would be the very top of the building or 1,362 feet. If the part of the roof right under the promenade was 1,355 feet above street level then add 12 feet you get 1,367 feet above street level then add 10 feet to get 1,377 feet above sea level.

I guess this only matters because it is commonly stated that the south tower's deck was 1,377 feet high but that was above sea level, whereas if you go by the typical definition for measuring building height the deck was 1,367 feet high above street level. The indoor deck on the 107th floor was 1,300 feet above street level and 1,310 feet above sea level.

Now the Sears Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck is 1,354 feet high above grade street level which would mean technically the outdoor WTC 2 observatory was the highest observation deck to ever exist in the United States. Interestingly enough the Sears Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck measured from Lower Wacker Drive (below grade street level of upper Wacker Drive but still technically above ground) is 1,367 feet which would make it pretty much a tie with old WTC outdoor deck.
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  #703  
Old Posted Jul 13, 2015, 11:09 AM
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Hello all, I just finished reading through this entire thread and have really enjoyed it. Especially the construction pictures and pictures before battery park city was built. I've been obsessed with the twin towers since I first saw them as a child in the early 90's. On that trip I went up to the observation deck for the first time of three the last being late July 2001. I've always read alot about the way they were constructed and love seeing pictures of the inside of the towers particularly places the tourist never got to see. I have always been intrigued by the stairwells and remember asking a security guard in july 2001 if I could go and look at one, hoping to look all the way up haha. I stayed with some friends at the Marriott world financial center that weekend and spent much time taking those massive towers in. I had no idea it would be my last time seeing them. And its still weird to think that they don't exist anymore. And of the destruction and loss of life that happened there a month later. I've seen the new wtc1 several times up close and although a beautiful building, its just not even close to the precense of the twins. One thing I did want to mention , several people have talked about the darker bands that were at the thirds of the buildings as being where the mechanical floors were? I always thought that these were the sky lobbies at floors 44 and 78? I'm almost positive I read that somewhere. Because there were definitely Windows in those darker areas. I just think the aluminum column covers were a bit narrower to give it that appearance, much like at the tops of the towers. Also if anyone has more pictures of random places inside the towers I'd love to see them! Thanks Nick
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  #704  
Old Posted Jul 13, 2015, 3:35 PM
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The mechanical floors were on 7 (top of the tridents), 40, 73 and 105. The sky lobbies were one floor above the mechanical floors, at 41 and 74. The mechanical floors were specially designed and reinforced and had a total height of 26 feet, more than double the typical floor height of 12 feet. The sky lobbies were also slightly taller at 14 feet. The mechanical floors were where the bands could be seen.
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  #705  
Old Posted Jul 14, 2015, 3:45 AM
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Ahhhhh ok so those bands were the mechanical floor and sky lobby combined that makes sense. Thanks for explaining that I always wondered how the sky lobbies could be so tall when in pictures they looked pretty normal.
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  #706  
Old Posted Jul 14, 2015, 4:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicago103 View Post
I have read several sources that said the rooftop promenade was 1,377 feet above SEA LEVEL. Now I know from a few sources on forums (one of them being STR) that street level of the World Trade Center was 10 feet above sea level so thus that would mean that the rooftop promenade was 1,367 feet above street level. I also came across an article online from 1975 (when the outdoor deck opened) that said the promenade was 12 feet above the roof, now given the sloping hat truss nature of the roof I assume that is 12 feet above the portion of the roof directly underneath the promenade (if you look at pictures it does look like it was 12 feet above) and not the higher center of the roof that would be the very top of the building or 1,362 feet. If the part of the roof right under the promenade was 1,355 feet above street level then add 12 feet you get 1,367 feet above street level then add 10 feet to get 1,377 feet above sea level.

I guess this only matters because it is commonly stated that the south tower's deck was 1,377 feet high but that was above sea level, whereas if you go by the typical definition for measuring building height the deck was 1,367 feet high above street level. The indoor deck on the 107th floor was 1,300 feet above street level and 1,310 feet above sea level.

Now the Sears Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck is 1,354 feet high above grade street level which would mean technically the outdoor WTC 2 observatory was the highest observation deck to ever exist in the United States. Interestingly enough the Sears Tower's 103rd floor Skydeck measured from Lower Wacker Drive (below grade street level of upper Wacker Drive but still technically above ground) is 1,367 feet which would make it pretty much a tie with old WTC outdoor deck.
Thank you for clearing that up, that makes perfect sense!
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  #707  
Old Posted Jul 15, 2015, 6:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WTCNick View Post
Ahhhhh ok so those bands were the mechanical floor and sky lobby combined that makes sense. Thanks for explaining that I always wondered how the sky lobbies could be so tall when in pictures they looked pretty normal.
The black bands are only the mechanical floors. They had vents instead of windows. The sky lobby was actually just above. Check out this photo which you can see it a lot clearer:


The sky lobbies had regular office space outside of the expanded transfer lobbies.

Last edited by drumz0rz; Jul 15, 2015 at 8:49 PM.
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  #708  
Old Posted Sep 11, 2015, 3:15 PM
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Can't believe it's been 14 years... There will always be 2 holes in the NY skyline and in my heart...
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  #709  
Old Posted Sep 11, 2015, 4:12 PM
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  #710  
Old Posted Oct 10, 2015, 4:13 PM
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Saw the preview for this in 3D Imax, and it is a must see...


Video Link


I don't know if any of you have seen this movie yet, but you must see it and see it in 3D. It brings to life the wonder and scale of the Twin Towers.


http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/r...-walk-20151001





http://nypost.com/2015/09/27/wtc-tig...s-the-landing/









http://teaser-trailer.com/movie/the-walk





Some images from the actual event...


Video Link




http://www.history.com/news/the-twin...k-40-years-ago




http://www.biography.com/news/the-wa...pe-petit-movie




http://www.businessinsider.com/phili...o-today-2015-8










http://www.jlblondeau.com/en/collect...s-moments.html

























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  #711  
Old Posted Oct 10, 2015, 5:43 PM
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I saw that movie while I was in NYC, it was freaking awesome. Imax 3D was well worth it! The audience clapped when it was over, and I appreciate how they ended the movie- on a positive note, without mentioning what happened to the towers.
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  #712  
Old Posted Oct 11, 2015, 7:20 AM
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I thoroughly enjoy this thread. They were beautiful buildings. The new WTC is good too as it shows the fact that we were able to rebuild. If only they could just decide on a design for the second tower...
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  #713  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2016, 1:59 AM
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My confession regarding WTC rebuild.

Sorry if this is not the right place to post this, but I want to get this cleared out.

I am not sure how many of you remember me. I left the forum long ago, and haven’t spoken there in years. I used a name called “Apathanoia” while I was here. I was one of the people who spoke for getting the twins rebuilt, who tried to get you to support it.

Unfortunately, my hatred for what has happened there has not gone away. $15 billion for a bunker-based tower that is the “nation’s tallest”, two waterfall holes in the ground, a $4 billion transit station, and a few other towers... from what I see, an inferior product compared to the former WTC. And I still believe the process and the site resulted from fraud and corruption, with things like Bridgegate reinforcing this.

As much as I feel this way, however, I have a harsh truth to say about myself: I am a coward.

What I have said in favor of new twins has been exclusive to Internet forums and responses to online articles. I never actually did anything to contribute to the cause, and I never gave money to anyone. I expected things to work out on their own, and for the American people to get the twins back. Remember that Justin Berzon book? I never bought it. It didn’t help that I worried it went too far into conspiracy theories…along with the fact that it probably sold only ten copies. Outside of the Internet, the me who said those words didn’t even exist.

I haven’t even spoken to my own family about it. I have been looking at those sites in private for years. My parents defended the idea of not rebuilding the twins at the time due to the cost to build (feels odd now) and the difficulty in getting tenants, citing the ESB and the original WTC as examples. As a person with Asperger’s, I knew that continually bringing it up would have had my parents say I am obsessing about it, and I didn’t want to behave that way. Today, I worry that if I did say stuff about this to my parents, they would disown me or worse, get me committed to a mental institution.

I have been keeping these thoughts away from almost everybody for nearly 15 years. I have been a man who wanted to go big, wanted to walk the walk, but have kept my lower legs and feet in a concrete block of fear. It is quite possible that in a way, I am the very thing I hate.

I have chosen a life of expectations that America, if not the whole world, would consistently get worse from here on out. I felt that the bunker, the pits, and the Calatrava hub in particular were impossible to take seriously. But who am I to judge or talk down to others about this? I see a world that is deteriorating like I envisioned, with crumbling infrastructure, ISIS, income inequality, etc., but somehow, I wonder if I have actually contributed to it (and the current WTC) because of my cowardice. At least, if I do tell others about this, at least I can ditch feelings that my mind or my cowardice is making it real.

I know I feel strange talking to you about this, but I feel I need to at a minimum tell you about what I really have been, to tell you that I am a coward and that have earned your hate.
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  #714  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2016, 2:00 AM
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  #715  
Old Posted Apr 6, 2016, 12:20 AM
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That's an incredible image…almost looks alien-like - so much to analyze and compare to the current make-up of the area. The elevated West Side Highway and remaining structures of Radio Row really jump out. It must've been incredible to witness all of that transformation happening at once…comparable to what we're seeing at Hudson Yards.
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  #716  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2016, 3:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Dac150 View Post
That's an incredible image…almost looks alien-like - so much to analyze and compare to the current make-up of the area. The elevated West Side Highway and remaining structures of Radio Row really jump out. It must've been incredible to witness all of that transformation happening at once…comparable to what we're seeing at Hudson Yards.

I agree. This time around, we get to witness the incredible construction of both the new WTC and the Hudson Yards, which is entirely something new.
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  #717  
Old Posted Jul 9, 2016, 6:11 AM
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I was digging through my archive and came across a scan of a drawing I did in 1990 (age 13) of the WTC. Thought I would share it...

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  #718  
Old Posted Sep 11, 2016, 6:23 PM
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Some early concept sketches of the World Trade Center I found in a book on display at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Seemed appropriate to post these today.



WTC Facade Concept by Spencer_R, on Flickr



WTC Aerial Concept by Spencer_R, on Flickr



WTC Plaza Concept by Spencer_R, on Flickr



WTC Lobby Concept by Spencer_R, on Flickr
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  #719  
Old Posted Sep 14, 2016, 3:54 AM
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We Remember

As the years go by, it is still very hard to believe that the events of 9/11 took place. I was only a little boy but i certainly remember that day as if it was yesterday. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center will forever be my favorite structures ever built, and continue to inspire me to pursue my architecture degree. The following are a couple of photos of some of my creations, and some of the ways that I remember the towers.

I have yet to finish this poster size drawing
[IMG]IMG_6803 by Roman Reyna, on Flickr[/IMG]


I am the reason the office is always out of staples.


[IMG]IMG_7881 by Roman Reyna, on Flickr[/IMG]

I never got a chance to see the towers in person, so i decided to build a replica and place them next to my bed so that I could see them every morning just like New Yorkers did for years.

[IMG]http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/M9wpRf][/url]IMG_6668 by Roman Reyna, on Flickr[/IMG]

I did not realize my outfit matched the Towers

[IMG]IMG_6781 by Roman Reyna, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]IMG_6477 by Roman Reyna, on Flickr[/IMG]
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  #720  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2016, 9:05 AM
Richardc1983 Richardc1983 is offline
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Hello everyone - new member here. Hopefully adding this on the right post as have read all the pages but couldn't find th information I am interested in.

I would like to know more about the hvac systems and plant at the WTC twin towers. I work in hvac so the more technical the better and if there are any pics of the equipment / Mechanical Floors that would be even better. A building so big this kind of thing really interests me as the WTC did not have roof top chillers and seems like there was a large chiller in the sub basement with refrigerant tanks. How did this refrigerant get upto the higher mechanical floors to the chillers up there? Why was none of this heavy equipment found after the collapse along with the weights from elevators. I know in the memorial there is a lift motor as one of the artefacts.

Thank you.
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