NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[weidncol]

^^ It has been, but it's been getting stuck most likely due to extreme weather conditions.

[NYguy]

dsearls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/docsearls/12532563503/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/12532414695_11193fbba8_h.jpg

[Hypothalamus]

Looks like more glass is going up!

As of February 15th, 2014...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/12541144495_2ae2fb74d8_o.jpg
EarthCam

[supertallchaser]

Great! cant wait for the external elevator to be gone

[Hypothalamus]

February 6th, 2014 photo...

Roasting the marshmallow:

http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/cdfc7fe68f7811e3849f0a3c3a25f78e_8.jpg
©theaplesner_ (http://statigr.am/viewer.php#/detail/650148021010221613_12238889) on Instagram

http://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/speech17.jpg
http://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/news/summer-camps-increasingly-popular-for-speech-therapy/

[jmatero]

Looks like more glass is going up!

As of February 15th, 2014...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/12541144495_2ae2fb74d8_o.jpg
EarthCam

Looks like the stainless even needs cleaning.

[NYguy]

etravus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcraftsman/12389947734/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/12389947734_eec9ccb2c0_h.jpg

[weidncol]

You can really tell just how much this building dominates over everything else in this photo.

[Double L]

Great pictures of 1wtc guys, I appreciate them!

[hunser]

http://statigr.am/p/653194434140347996_285838238
https://www.facebook.com/NYonAir

New York on Air

http://1.2.3.10/bmi/distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/7df2badc92c611e3a1d912fd10b2716f_8.jpg

Look at the rings!!

[chris08876]

That is one facebook page that everyone must be friends with! Great shots. Really shows how important the spire is to the tower when it comes to its image. It is the essential topping on a really delicious cake. :cheers:

[Kurtz]

The latter of what you said will definitely happen, it's just matter of when.
Hi,
Do you have some info on this or solid ruomors?

[baseball1992]

Hi,
Do you have some info on this or solid ruomors?

That is the whole point of the the communication ring. It is there for the purpose of putting satellite dishes on.

[Kurtz]

That is the whole point of the the communication ring. It is there for the purpose of putting satellite dishes on.

Sorry my mistake!!! I was thinking at the spire!!:D

[weidncol]

The spire will also house antennas and the like. The communication ring is just for dishes.

[Hypothalamus]

As of February 14th, 2014...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/12532374624_1e255c9fcb_b.jpg
Icicle (http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithmichaelnyc/12532374624/) by Keith Michael NYC (http://www.flickr.com/people/keithmichaelnyc/), on Flickr


As of February 16th, 2014...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7337/12568616865_a79e96a0b4_b.jpg
Freedom (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bahramforoughi/12568616865/) by bahramforoughi (http://www.flickr.com/people/bahramforoughi/), on Flickr

[randy1991]

NY Harbor Webcam (http://www.nyharborwebcam.com/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/12588011974_2c224d7d8c_b.jpg

[NYguy]

gigi_nyc (http://www.flickr.com/photos/76807015@N03/12576556385/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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[N830MH]

gigi_nyc (http://www.flickr.com/photos/76807015@N03/12576556385/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7346/12576669093_223bf02b75_b.jpg

Wow! Very nice...Keep'em it coming!!!

[weidncol]

Nice pics, however these are about a week old when the spire lights were a bit dimmer than they are now.

[QUEENSNYMAN]

My latest WTC Video from today:

By QUEENSNY121:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PIycMfIrRQ&list=UUa3fF4f0jp_YrtzeCuNTf5A&feature=c4-overview

[randy1991]

NY Harbor Webcam (http://www.nyharborwebcam.com/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/12601714273_724815bef2_b.jpg

[NYguy]

pmarella (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmarella/12611014445/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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NYMAN2010 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/51949497@N08/12611090794/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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[randy1991]

Nice progress

EarthCam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/12618037203_89bea3cf7b_b.jpg

[N830MH]

Nice progress

EarthCam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/12618037203_89bea3cf7b_b.jpg

That's good progress and keep it up the good work.

[NYC GUY]

^^^
That glass looks like it will be done next week.

[weidncol]

The orange netting atop the communication rings is finally coming off. Now once the yellow "sticks" come off, it will look complete!

[r18tdi]

it will look complete!
The building will not be complete until this thread reaches a deeply symbolic 1776 pages.

[NewYorker2009]

The building will not be complete until this thread reaches a deeply symbolic 1776 pages.

It took over 3 months for this forum to go 44 pages. Now that all depends on how often people post, etc. Let's just say it will take about the same amount of time until we hit page 1,776, I doubt the building will be finished by June since there is still plenty of work to do. I say by end of '14 early '15 the building will be finished. I tend to ignore dates when a project is completed as it's rarely ever completed on time. One WTC had a long history of dates for completing the building. I'll just say it will get done when it gets done.

[Hypothalamus]

Capital New York:

Condé Nast W.T.C. digs ‘well underway,’ move begins November (http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/02/8540450/cond%C3%A9-nast-wtc-digs-well-underway-move-begins-november)
By Joe Pompeo 2:18 p.m. | Feb. 18, 2014

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/big_article_pic/a-oneworldtrade_0.png
One World Trade Center. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Condé Nast is beginning the rollout of its upcoming move to 1 World Trade Center, the soaring skyscraper where it has agreed to live for at least the next 25 years.

In one of the first significant internal communications about the move since Condé Nast signed a lease in May 2011, employees of the magazine publisher were informed today that the relocation from their long-time offices at 4 Times Square will begin in November, Capital has learned.

"I am pleased to share that the interior construction of our new space at 1WTC is well underway," chief executive Chuck Townsend wrote in a memo obtained by Capital. "This relocation represents a historic moment for our company and symbolizes the enormous transformation we have undergone in the past few years. ... As the anchor tenant in one of the world’s most anticipated architectural sites, we have an unprecedented opportunity to take part in shaping the future of New York City."

Condé Nast's move to 1 World Trade Center, a joint development between the Port Authority and The Durst Organization, has a transformative potential for Lower Manhattan, which has slowly but steadily been rebuilding its economy since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Condé Nast's glamorous employees are expected to bring a new cachet to the area around the new World Trade Center, raising the bar for local food, retail and hospitality businesses.

The company, publisher of such venerable titles as Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, is also seen as the centerpiece of what appears to be a burgeoning media boom in Lower Manhattan.

As Capital reported last week, 15 media companies committed to relocating to the area from 2011 through the first six months of last year, bringing the total number of media tenants to around 80, according to the Alliance for Downtown New York. News and publishing outlets in the vicinity include American Media Inc., the Daily News, Newsweek, The Village Voice and Fast Company. Time Inc. is said to be weighing a move to Lower Manhattan as well.

Condé Nast will be the first major corporate tenant to set up shop inside 1 World Trade Center, a protracted construction project the represents the rebirth of Lower Manhattan and the resilience of a post-9/11 New York.

At 1,776 feet and 104 floors—24 of which will be occupied by Condé Nast—the building is America's tallest, though roughly 1.4 million square feet remains unleased. Condé Nast's 25-year deal was packed with tax incentives and worth a reported $2 billion.

Townsend's memo touted "the most innovative elements of energy and environmental design" as well as "advanced office technology." He added that "many of our technology and production colleagues," including employees of Condé Nast Entertainment, will move from 1166 Avenue of the Americas to three redesigned floors at 222 Broadway, adjacent to 1 World Trade Center.

The company's 1.2 million square feet of office space on floors 20 through 44 of 1 World Trade include "amenity floors" on 34 and 35 "connected by an extraordinary, interior spiral staircase," according to Townsend's memo. "These floors will house our visitors reception, conference center, library, auditorium, art gallery, private dining, cafeteria and after-hours café.."
.....

You can read Townsend's full memo HERE (http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/02/8540450/cond%C3%A9-nast-wtc-digs-well-underway-move-begins-november)

[NYguy]

More falling ice drama...

http://nypost.com/2014/02/19/falling-ice-from-wtc-closes-down-west-side-highway/


http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/falling-ice-closes-stretch-west-street-battery-park-underpass-morning-rush-article-1.1619552

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1619640.1392838277!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/ice-falls-1-world-trade-center.jpg

'You could see the pieces of ice falling from the sky from the building. They were big ... like a baseball, maybe bigger, like a soccer ball,' one passerby said.

[randy1991]

EarthCam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

They are placing the glass very quick now, not long to go

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7440/12662911993_ccb1856ab8_b.jpg

[NYguy]

markusaurelius1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/117827254@N05/12661814903/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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postopp1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brklynaloft/12648834975/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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[Nexis4Jersey]

MY WTC pictures from the other day...

https://s2.yimg.com/sm/5479/12659424635_97c86f125d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659424635/)
045 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659424635/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://s2.yimg.com/sm/5535/12659424105_74b997fe37_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659424105/)
046 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659424105/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://v4s.yimg.com/so/7315/12659548613_b8869537a5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659548613/)
051 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178139@N06/12659548613/) by Nexis4Jersey09 (http://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

[NYguy]

The spire issue is one that will live one....

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2014/02/chicago-spire-may-actually-get-built-after-all/8467/

.....after the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat designated Manhattan's Freedom Tower to be taller than the Willis Tower, despite its "vanity height," Chicago may need the kind of pick-me-up of that can only be found through a new super-tall structure. "We still don't acknowledge the Freedom Tower's spire," says Osmond.



YanqiChang (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yqchang/12679822424/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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mobiledave703 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/98116727@N03/12667353114/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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schillid (http://www.flickr.com/photos/donkschilling/12663484155/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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[ThatOneGuy]

The entire debate wouldn't even matter if the plans for restarting the Chicago Spire are true. It trumps even 1WTC's spire.

[pico44]

I think this building is drop dead gorgeous.

Losing the base chamfering still bugs the heck out of me, but all this talk of the spire seems silly to me. It looks fine. Good even.

[Bertrice]

I give the final building a B+ as it stands now. It could have an A- if the spire and base were as originally designed but lack height and the narrowing of the width makes it far from perfect. That being said it could still drop to a C+ because of the base. If the base glass fails to live up to the renderings and it looks off or weird or a strange green color I will lower the grade. If Tower 2 ever gets built it may steal the thunder of this building even more. When its finished (who knows since this damn thing keeps dragging on) I will give the final grade which won't be up for debate.

As of now its a B+.

[Enigmatism415]

The entire debate wouldn't even matter if the plans for restarting the Chicago Spire are true. It trumps even 1WTC's spire.

I feel like I'm one of the few who truly doesn't care about the "freedom tower" being the tallest building in 'Murica. Is this some sort of patriotic ego thing? I'm glad that the parapet matches the height of the original 1WTC.

[ILNY]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/12705554185_55be3391bf_b.jpg

[Hypothalamus]

Posted February 21st, 2014...

Electricians lay wiring in the lobby of One WTC.
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1512821_610038015740107_1086648832_n.jpg
©WTC Progress (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=610038015740107&set=pb.109423129134934.-2207520000.1393118153.&type=3&theater) on Facebook

[Hudson11]

I feel like I'm one of the few who truly doesn't care about the "freedom tower" being the tallest building in 'Murica. Is this some sort of patriotic ego thing? I'm glad that the parapet matches the height of the original 1WTC.
I agree. But I have to admit, the beacon at ~1776 ft is a nice touch. Even if you don't use pinnacle height, the beacon is still up there at that symbolic height.

[Silverfox]

It's probably just the angle, but the golden light reflecting off of the lobby walls looks almost art deco, or like a Masonic temple. I love stuff like that.

[randy1991]

Glass progress untill today

EarthCam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12755240994_5fd6469d85_b.jpg

[hunser]

Darrick Leow (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14078077@N07/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7410/12734756924_fa83889752_h.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/kpjXyy)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/12734753894_3440376179_h.jpg (http://flic.kr/p/kpjWEj)

[N830MH]

Glass progress untill today

EarthCam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12755240994_5fd6469d85_b.jpg

Wow! Excellent! Keep it up the good work.

[randy1991]

Wow! Excellent! Keep it up the good work.


Latest:
1WTC zoom cam Earthcam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7347/12800954423_b6fb34cd5c_b.jpg

[randy1991]

NY on Air (https://www.facebook.com/NYonAir)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=531226813663039

Nice video of 1WTC Spire and Communication rings lights

[patrick989]

Why do the spire lights look purplish on the white setting? Every night when I look out my window, it just looks purple with gray at the bottom.

[NYguy]

PotterPics (http://www.flickr.com/photos/95667084@N02/12771666885/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

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MABSides (http://www.flickr.com/photos/102523866@N05/12785943175/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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melissahortetl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/113126186@N05/12736773375/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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John Coster Photography (http://www.flickr.com/photos/45066714@N08/12695762823/sizes/o/in/photostream/)

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darzieeeee (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14078077@N07/12734753894/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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[aquablue]

The mast is only acceptable at night. Othwerise, it is a travesty and a mark of shame on the architectural heritage of America. It looks like a cheap way to top out a decent tower and reminds me of a telecom tower that belongs in nowhereland.

[Yackemflaber69]

harsh man

[N830MH]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/12734753894_3440376179_h.jpg

Wow! It's gorgeous!!!! It's beautiful!!!

[Perklol]

What happened to the white covered spire? It would have looked a lot better.

[chris08876]

PBS - Super Skyscrapers -- One World Trade Center

8epA4EirjR8

A nice documentary.

[brian.odonnell20]

What happened to the white covered spire? It would have looked a lot better.

It wasn't structurally sound. I thought it looked kinda ugly anyway

[Darias060]

Old picture that I took but it's really cool. That ship was moving upstream and my ferry was moving downstream so that shot was perfect timing!

July 10, 2013
https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1619107_10152199663288444_1698476133_n.jpg

[NYguy]

What happened to the white covered spire? It would have looked a lot better.

Durst was only interested in the broadcasting nature of the mast, not what it looked like. It was a cost issue, disguised as a maintenance one.
The covering will live on in renderings and "what if's", but we'll never see it.


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/154371841/original.jpg



Six Sigma Man (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sixsigmaman/12710254495/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

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[brian.odonnell20]

^ well they did wind testing on it and it was pretty clear that it wasn't going to work structurally even in mild winds.. I think it was about that more so than some cost cutting measure by durst, I couldn't imagine why he'd care enough to make such a huge design change if it weren't for it being structurally unsound.

[NYguy]

^ well they did wind testing on it and it was pretty clear that it wasn't going to work structurally even in mild winds.. I think it was about that more so than some cost cutting measure by durst, I couldn't imagine why he'd care enough to make such a huge design change if it weren't for it being structurally unsound.

It was a cost cutting measure. As I've repeated about a thousand times, the spire design only changed to a radome covering to "protect" the antenna mast from the elements. They are saying that the wind testing showed that there could be damage to some of the panels, and they would have to be replaced. Whether or not that is true is irrelevant (though it is amazing that the CN Tower has stood for years). The fact of the matter is that Durst wasn't interested in any type of design around the mast. So while the natural thing to do if the radome wasn't "sound" was to revert to the earlier design, cost concerns - and there were many at this tower - dictated they drop it altogether. That was backed up by the CTBUH, so they haven't really lost anything. We are the only losers in this situation. And when I say we, I say everyone who wanted this site to be rebuilt, but also represent a little more than a typical business enterprise. It's the reason the PA is (wasting or spending depending on your point of view) so much money on a train station below. It's about the site. But of course, with Durst, we're talking about someone who didn't want this tower built in the first place, so I guess we should expect as much.

[brian.odonnell20]

It was a cost cutting measure. As I've repeated about a thousand times, the spire design only changed to a radome covering to "protect" the antenna mast from the elements. They are saying that the wind testing showed that there could be damage to some of the panels, and they would have to be replaced. Whether or not that is true is irrelevant (though it is amazing that the CN Tower has stood for years). The fact of the matter is that Durst wasn't interested in any type of design around the mast. So while the natural thing to do if the radome wasn't "sound" was to revert to the earlier design, cost concerns - and there were many at this tower - dictated they drop it altogether. That was backed up by the CTBUH, so they haven't really lost anything. We are the only losers in this situation. And when I say we, I say everyone who wanted this site to be rebuilt, but also represent a little more than a typical business enterprise. It's the reason the PA is (wasting or spending depending on your point of view) so much money on a train station below. It's about the site. But of course, with Durst, we're talking about someone who didn't want this tower built in the first place, so I guess we should expect as much.

Um the damage would've been more than "a couple damaged panels," the entire antenna would've been ruined due to the sway, so I think that would be fairly relevant.. you say they disguised it as structural reasons like there's a huge cover up operation. Just because he's not interested in the design doesn't mean he'd go that far to make such a monumental design change. Do you have any articles/proof proving that he did it just to cut costs..?

[jmatero]

Um the damage would've been more than "a couple damaged panels," the entire antenna would've been ruined due to the sway, so I think that would be fairly relevant.. you say they disguised it as structural reasons like there's a huge cover up operation. Just because he's not interested in the design doesn't mean he'd go that far to make such a monumental design change. Do you have any articles/proof proving that he did it just to cut costs..?

And like Durst said... and they were right... maintenance of that multi-panel radome would have been a total nightmare and a serious safety issue for both citizens and maintenance workers. Think of what the engineers would need to address AND REMEMBER workers repelling from the top is ok for the Washington Monument... it's not possible at almost 1800'.


What would happen if just ONE PANEL fell off the structure and landed on the AC units? The communications equipment on the roof? People below?

Once the crane was down, how in God's name would one of those panels been replaced?

How would they clean/paint/replace those panels? You can't hang a maintenance rig or repel from the top, you can't re-erect a crane and you can't build conventional scaffolding on the roof.

How would the panels be installed to begin with? They would have to be raised individually by a crane and somehow affixed by a worker on the inside of the spire.


I challenge the conspiracy theorists here to explain how the items above would have been handled. And "They would have figured it out" is not an answer.

Believe it or not, these are the issues that led to the radome being ditched. As a RESULT they certainly saved a ton of $$$$.

PS... a number of conspiracy theorists here have pointed to the antenna on 1 WTC and suggested "they did it then... why not now?" I remember that antenna going up in the mid 70's and it was a series of huge thick hollow rings (like pipes). Not an antenna covered with decorative panels.

[patriotizzy]

As sad as it is that the cover for the antenna is not there, the lighting is amazing. Definitely improves an already beautiful and striking NYC night skyline.

[NYguy]

Um the damage would've been more than "a couple damaged panels," the entire antenna would've been ruined due to the sway, so I think that would be fairly relevant..

Not accurate, and it is only relevant if you think that was the only option there was for the spire - which it was not, as has been repeatedely pointed out.
The radom was an option that didn't happen.



And like Durst said... and they were right... maintenance of that multi-panel radome would have been a total nightmare and a serious safety issue for both citizens and maintenance
workers.
I challenge the conspiracy theorists here to explain how the items above would have been handled. And "They would have figured it out" is not an answer.

Believe it or not, these are the issues that led to the radome being ditched. As a RESULT they certainly saved a ton of $$$$.

PS... a number of conspiracy theorists here have pointed to the antenna on 1 WTC and suggested "they did it then... why not now?" I remember that antenna going up in the mid 70's
and it was a series of huge thick hollow rings (like pipes). Not an antenna covered with decorative panels.

I'm not going to get into your "conspiracy theorist" nonsense, because as stated above, it's all irrelevant. The mast as it is constructed now will still require maintence,
as will the equipment placed there.

The fact of the matter is this mast DID NOT have to be built and left as is. If you choose to believe we live in a world where that is the case, then shame on you.
Meanwhile, we'll sit back and watch as more complex and more beautiful structures are built around the world. The "this can't be done" mentality won't take hold of everyone.
We used to pride ourselves on what could be done. Perhaps that time will come again.



MarkWarnes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/markwarnes/12817740073/sizes/h/in/photostream/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3796/12817740073_1022a6cbcc_h.jpg



http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/12717010585_d4db367ceb_h.jpg

[Perklol]

Durst was only interested in the broadcasting nature of the mast, not what it looked like. It was a cost issue, disguised as a maintenance one.
The covering will live on in renderings and "what if's", but we'll never see it.


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/154371841/original.jpg



Six Sigma Man (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sixsigmaman/12710254495/sizes/h/in/photostream/)


Thank you to everyone for those answers. That would have looked gorgeous :slob:
Now it looks unfinished and cheap unfortunately.

[gramsjdg]

Agreed.

The lack of bulk in the mast caused by the decision to leave it uncompleted (no radome) makes it look much too tall for the size of the building. No amount of Las Vegas style LED lighting can make up for that fact.

[Zapatan]

Agreed.

The lack of bulk in the mast caused by the decision to leave it uncompleted (no radome) makes it look much too tall for the size of the building. No amount of Las Vegas style LED lighting can make up for that fact.

It looks okay at night surprisingly now that it's lit up 100% but doesn't really look a whole lot better than say, Conde Naste building antenna during the day... and that's not a good thing.

I just wonder if there's any way that someone, someday will cover that thing... I mean if I ever become a billionaire I'll do it myself.

Durst is just a slimy piece of slime, even seeing him on the video made me shudder.

[hunser]

http://m1.i.pbase.com/o9/06/102706/1/154371841.D72T5e9l.wtcren3.jpg

:(

This rendering has it all:
- the radome
- 3WTC's original height
- a finished 2WTC

[CityGuy87]

Personally, the spire/mast has grown on me but I think once all the broadcast dishes are put on the communication rings, I think it will enhance the look of the spire and bring a bit more balance between the actual building and the spire itself.

I would really like to see a rendering of the spire/mast as it is but fill in the ring dishes to get an idea of how it will all look.

[Zapatan]

http://m1.i.pbase.com/o9/06/102706/1/154371841.D72T5e9l.wtcren3.jpg

:(

This rendering has it all:
- the radome
- 3WTC's original height
- a finished 2WTC

We did get kinda shafted but at least 2WTC will be built someday and 3WTC is almost 1100 to the roof, not even sure if that's finalized either.

The radome well... yea that just eats me up inside, that'll be hard to get over. Keep in mind that the radio dishes on the comm. rings will add a little thickness and bulk to the top of the tower.

Edit: Cityguy just said that last part.

[1Boston]

The lighting on the spire is starting to grow on me; however, only from afar. I still feel like it looks extremely tacky up close, especially the colored lights. I can only imagine how incredible it would look if the original spire was there.

[weidncol]

^^ It's been white the past three weeks, don't see how that is tacky...

[CityGuy87]

^^ It's been white the past three weeks, don't see how that is tacky...

I hope we get a lighting schedule for 1 WTC's spire posted on the PA's website as we do with the lights for the top of the Empire State Building on their website. 1 WTC's lighting is beautiful and has a lot of potential but they're gonna need to step up their game to compete with the ESB's lights.

I definitely like the white lighting but it feels like a waste considering all the different color options and effects that Durst usually likes to show off on his other towers. I'm not sure if the white lighting is the official default lighting scheme (considering the building has yet to be completed) or if we'll see a BoFA/Conde Nast-style light show when it finally opens.

I know that sounds like a double standard considering the Empire State Building has default white lighting and an incredible new LED lighting system but that building has an entire top for its canvas (and the white on the ESB looks much classier tbh) while 1 WTC just has a mast. The white lighting fits that building much better in all honesty.

In regards to 1 WTC's proximity to the 9/11 memorial, I think having color changing light shows on the base fins would be extremely tacky and disrespectful but the spire/mast is different because it represents a new energetic and vibrant downtown skyline.

[Hypothalamus]

As of February 26th, 2014...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SdXHj8rL6N4/Uw7FuLK4zcI/AAAAAAAABwU/tyN3bMfcqwU/s1000/SAM_1254.JPG
©Brandon Nagle (http://urbanismvsmodernism.blogspot.com/2014/02/newark-and-new-york-city-2262014.html) on UvM

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3sntZG8U2SE/Uw7RLzL_sBI/AAAAAAAAByg/oTUhiG95F34/s800/SAM_1337.JPG
©Brandon Nagle (http://urbanismvsmodernism.blogspot.com/2014/02/newark-and-new-york-city-2262014.html) on UvM

[weidncol]

I hope we get a lighting schedule for 1 WTC's spire posted on the PA's website as we do with the lights for the top of the Empire State Building on their website. 1 WTC's lighting is beautiful and has a lot of potential but they're gonna need to step up their game to compete with the ESB's lights.

I definitely like the white lighting but it feels like a waste considering all the different color options and effects that Durst usually likes to show off on his other towers. I'm not sure if the white lighting is the official default lighting scheme (considering the building has yet to be completed) or if we'll see a BoFA/Conde Nast-style light show when it finally opens.

I know that sounds like a double standard considering the Empire State Building has default white lighting and an incredible new LED lighting system but that building has an entire top for its canvas (and the white on the ESB looks much classier tbh) while 1 WTC just has a mast. The white lighting fits that building much better in all honesty.

In regards to 1 WTC's proximity to the 9/11 memorial, I think having color changing light shows on the base fins would be extremely tacky and disrespectful but the spire/mast is different because it represents a new energetic and vibrant downtown skyline.

I personally like the white lighting as it reminds me of the old North Tower's mast at night. Also, I completely agree with you about the base lighting. It will have the ability to change colors, but it will most likely just stay white.

[CityGuy87]

I personally like the white lighting as it reminds me of the old North Tower's mast at night. Also, I completely agree with you about the base lighting. It will have the ability to change colors, but it will most likely just stay white.

Hopefully they do something cool for St. Patrick's Day although they didn't do anything for Valentine's Day which leads to me to think that it will only be white until the building is complete/open.

[Otie]

I am not so sure a documentary can sustain the claim of practical constraints as the reason for scrapping the enclosure. The RWDI wind tunnel footage belongs to a test made prior to an alteration made to the radome.

[jmatero]

The mast as it is constructed now will still require maintence, as will the equipment placed there.

The fact of the matter is this mast DID NOT have to be built and left as is. If you choose to believe we live in a world where that is the case, then shame on you.
Meanwhile, we'll sit back and watch as more complex and more beautiful structures are built around the world. The "this can't be done" mentality won't take hold of everyone.

Oh stop. The building was already well under construction when the radome was ditched. The options were to either to completely redesign/reengineer the roof of the building and mast (Can you say DELAYS and $$$$$) or go according to plan and just not clad it. They "could" have created a new antenna, sure but it still would have been the subject of ridicule because it wasn't the unicorn horn.

The current mast requires little if any maintenance... Won't need painting or cleaning, etc. You just climb inside it to reach the bulbs or any equipment affixed to it. Safe workers. That's not even remotely close to maintaining/repairing the radome the way it was designed.

The funny part is that I post pics of this building on Facebook and other sites almost daily and get nothing but positive comments. Even friends and family who live/work downtown LOVE how it turned out. The only negativity I see is on here.

Look, we're all entitled to our opinions and this is just mine. I love the building... Antenna and all... And so happy it's almost done!

[Enigmatism415]

If wind is the issue, I'd recommend a sufficiently permeable cladding. Perhaps stainless steel wires wrapped around the mast would look nice, and wouldn't require paint or cleaning. It'll cost more, but a lot less than the original cladding.

[NYguy]

The lighting on the spire is starting to grow on me; however, only from afar. I still feel like it looks extremely tacky up close, especially the colored lights. I can only imagine how incredible it would look if the original spire was there.

The lighting is the one thing saving this from being completely boring at night. With those mechanical floors currently in the dark, it really shows. But there is no way they won't light those floors at night. When lit, it should have a similar effect to the ESB lighting.

As for the spire, remember Durst highlights the Conde Nast as well (which will be the backup to this tower). I believe he thinks it's perfectly fine as is.



http://www.esquire.com/the-rebuilding/world-trade-center-rebuilding-0912-3

....As the estimate for completing the tower rose past $3 billion, the PA struck a deal in 2010 with a city real estate developer, the Durst Organization, to help finish, manage, and lease the tower: For $100 million, Durst received a 10 percent equity interest in the building, plus a $15 million management contract that gave Durst 75 percent of any monies saved by cutting construction costs up to $12 million, and a mere 50 percent of every penny cut thereafter.

To nobody's surprise and David Childs's despair, Durst found costs to cut, particularly at the top and bottom of the tower.

....Durst took its meat-ax to the tower's 408-foot spire: By simply scrapping the radome — a sculpted shell of fiberglass and steel designed to sheathe the antennae and maintenance platforms atop the building — shazam! $20 million saved.

Durst claimed its radome decision was strictly about maintenance cost and safety, not money. Patrick Foye, current PA executive director, agreed, adding, "What was designed was impractical, unworkable, and quite frankly dangerous."



http://www.batterypark.tv/uncategorized/durst-screws-up-the-freedom-tower-antenna.html

If you have looked at the tall tower atop the WTC 1 “Freedom Tower” and thought to your self, “That is ugly. I wonder if they are still building it.”, you are not alone. It is a mess, and was caused by developer Durst, according to the WSJ.

The WSJ reports, “Yet just as construction costs have ballooned to nearly $4 billion, making this by far the most expensive new office building in the world, its developers—the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, along with the Durst Organization—have decided to cut one last corner, blunting the building’s most prominent and important symbol.

This newspaper and other media outlets have reported that since taking an ownership interest in One WTC in 2010, Durst has been agitating for the radome’s elimination—a push rejected by the agency’s executive director at the time, only to be approved by his successor.

“I don’t think it will affect the visual appearance,” Douglas Durst, the chairman of the Durst Organization, said regarding the radome’s elimination. “I try not to get involved with the aesthetics.” In fact, the financial incentives of Durst’s co-ownership deal, it has been reported, are structured in such a way as to prioritize cost-saving construction over aesthetic concerns.


I guess the solution is to not look at it in the daytime.



www.JackBermanNYC.com (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbnycphoto/12827003255/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3747/12827003255_484de5c9b3_b.jpg



WanderingtheWorld (www.ChrisFord.com) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisschoenbohm/12826148954/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/12826148954_95dfd38574_b.jpg

[Camstonisland]

I honestly think that if they couldnt go for the radome diamond pattern, then a traditional North tower/ Willis Tower clad spire would also work
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/1WTC_Antenna_Mast_March_1998.jpg

http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/CAI/Images/200801/SearsTower-Apr08-002a.jpg

WOW that is a bit larger than i expected...

[CityGuy87]

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-SX363_SPIREl_G_20120509212310.jpg

I noticed in this rendering of the current spire/mast that certain parts have individual radome coverings similar to the old North Tower. Is that still being planned? Because it would make the mast look slightly nicer IMO.

[YankeesfaninUT]

It was a cost cutting measure. As I've repeated about a thousand times, the spire design only changed to a radome covering to "protect" the antenna mast from the elements. They are saying that the wind testing showed that there could be damage to some of the panels, and they would have to be replaced. Whether or not that is true is irrelevant (though it is amazing that the CN Tower has stood for years). The fact of the matter is that Durst wasn't interested in any type of design around the mast. So while the natural thing to do if the radome wasn't "sound" was to revert to the earlier design, cost concerns - and there were many at this tower - dictated they drop it altogether. That was backed up by the CTBUH, so they haven't really lost anything. We are the only losers in this situation. And when I say we, I say everyone who wanted this site to be rebuilt, but also represent a little more than a typical business enterprise. It's the reason the PA is (wasting or spending depending on your point of view) so much money on a train station below. It's about the site. But of course, with Durst, we're talking about someone who didn't want this tower built in the first place, so I guess we should expect as much.

The only area on the CN Tower that is Radome is the white donut shaped collar under the main pod which is where the radio transmitters are located. It is a total different design than what would have been used on One WTC. It is a fabric skin that is inflated from inside and maintained at a constant pressure. The design for One WTC would have been separate panels. I believe the design and where it is located makes the Radome on the CN tower easier to maintain. And because they are two very different designs and located in different areas you cannot compare the two.

[1Boston]

The lighting is the one thing saving this from being completely boring at night. With those mechanical floors currently in the dark, it really shows. But there is no way they won't light those floors at night. When lit, it should have a similar effect to the ESB lighting.

As for the spire, remember Durst highlights the Conde Nast as well (which will be the backup to this tower). I believe he thinks it's perfectly fine as is

Like I said, I really do enjoy the white lighting, but I feel the spirtenna as is makes the colored lighting look out of place(up close). I do agree that without any lighting it would be boring and the spire basically unnoticeable, so I definitely prefer it over nothing. But I think, like you said, once the mechanical floors get lit along with the spire, it will really improve it and give the same effect as the ESB.

[NYguy]

The only area on the CN Tower that is Radome is the white donut shaped collar under the main pod which is where the radio transmitters are located. It is a total different design than what would have been used on One WTC.....they are two very different designs and located in different areas you cannot compare the two.

Which only makes my case further. If you buy the Durst story, then the design should have been worked to where it could be built, or at the very least they should have gone back to the original plan.

Here's what is acceptable: "the radome design isn't feasible, so we're going to have to go with another design, perhaps the open lattice design of the original plan".

Here's what is not: "the radome design isn't feasible, so to hell with the radome."

Even more unacceptable was Durst's attitude about the whole thing: "“I don’t think it will affect the visual appearance,” Douglas Durst, the chairman of the Durst Organization, said regarding the radome’s elimination. “I try not to get involved with the aesthetics.”

Well, Durst, you certainly did get involved with the aesthetics.

It will still be a couple of years or so before any of the television broadcasters move back on site, so I don't think they will be putting any equipment up there until they are more certain on that end.

[Hypothalamus]

Feb 21

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3690/12803011403_1c35397c9d_b.jpg
One World Trade Center (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10518979@N06/12803011403/) by vbvr (http://www.flickr.com/people/10518979@N06/), on Flickr


Feb 27

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/12826693015_e31d804cb3_b.jpg
Freedom centered (http://www.flickr.com/photos/skingld/12826693015/) by skingld (http://www.flickr.com/people/skingld/), on Flickr

[jmatero]

Which only makes my case further. If you buy the Durst story, then the design should have been worked to where it could be built, or at the very least they should have gone back to the original plan.

Here's what is acceptable: "the radome design isn't feasible, so we're going to have to go with another design, perhaps the open lattice design of the original plan".

Here's what is not: "the radome design isn't feasible, so to hell with the radome."


For the umpteenth time, the roof and antenna were already engineered and ready to rock... If the radome wasn't going to work, the options were to either ditch the radome and keep the rest the same or halt the project and spend hundreds of millions redesigning the AC, roof, structural support and entire antenna. That is a massive, expensive, time consuming undertaking.

Very few people in NYC in the 30's knew the GW Bridge was designed to be clad with stone. And today, NOBODY knows or cares. Few people in the world know the WTC antenna was designed to be covered. Most NYr's are thrilled with this building. It's a done deal... get over it. A few years from now nobody will care. Future generations certainly won't care. I look at those pictures above and LOVE the industrial look of the antenna. :tup:

http://collections.mcny.org/Doc/MNY/Media/TR3/a/1/e/4/MNY222645.jpg
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/e58d575032a7441c1f8f022e9b4c9b00c6cfa7b4/c=451-0-3960-2637&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2014/01/09//1389247650000-AP-New-York-George-Washington-Bridge.jpg

[jd3189]

^^^You've made a good point there. The spire still looks good at night, so it ain't too much of a loss.

[QUEENSNYMAN]

My video from this morning @ Tribute Park in Rockaway, Queens:

BY QUEENSNY121:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myhL9a-BDCE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUa3fF4f0jp_YrtzeCuNTf5A

[ATLksuGUY]

A little older. Photo is mine.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg185/Cricha43/DSC_1216.jpg (http://s248.photobucket.com/user/Cricha43/media/DSC_1216.jpg.html)[/IMG]
Full res: http://s248.photobucket.com/user/Cricha43/media/DSC_1216.jpg.html?filters[user]=64540444&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0
ILNYC

[QUEENSNYMAN]

A little older. Photo is mine.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg185/Cricha43/DSC_1216.jpg (http://s248.photobucket.com/user/Cricha43/media/DSC_1216.jpg.html)[/IMG]
Full res: http://s248.photobucket.com/user/Cricha43/media/DSC_1216.jpg.html?filters[user]=64540444&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0
ILNYC

Very Nice View:tup:

[randy1991]

Earthcam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

As of today

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7403/12888860495_fff3a063fc_b.jpg

[FMIII]

A little older. Photo is mine.


Gorgeous picture. The ESB is so beautiful when it's enlightened by low-key lights.

[NYguy]

For the umpteenth time, the roof and antenna were already engineered and ready to rock... If the radome wasn't going to work, the options were to either ditch the radome and keep the rest the same or halt the project and spend hundreds of millions redesigning the AC, roof, structural support and entire antenna. That is a massive, expensive, time consuming undertaking.

Well, for the umpteenth plus 1 time, you are wrong, those weren't the only options. And it was spelled out whey the change was made. Durst was brought in to cut costs, and that is exactly what he did. Yes, it is a massive, expensive undertaking, and that's exactly why they should have taken the time - and spent the relatively minor cost - to get it right.


Very few people in NYC in the 30's knew the GW Bridge was designed to be clad with stone. And today, NOBODY knows or cares.

Comparing the skyscraper to the bridge is absoulutely ridiculous. You could have removed the stone from the Brooklyn Bridge back in the day, and no one would have known. Today? It is the absolute most distinctive and beloved of all New York City bridges. But it hardly matters, because in either case, the bridge is still a bridge. The destinction between spire and antenna mast is an important one. Further still, is the connection between the spire and the bulding it sits on. Now, if you want to say the tower would look better without being clad in its glass, and left open, that's your choice. But you'd need a better argument.



The spire still looks good at night, so it ain't too much of a loss.

Unfortunate, for the people who will only see it in the day.

As I've said before, when I look at the Chrysler Building, it is a masterpiece - as brilliant by day as by night. No one ever says "you know, at least it looks great at night". We're talking about the crown on the world's most famous skyline. Half acceptable is not acceptable.




http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/02/8540739/downtown-goes-glossy

Downtown goes glossy


http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/big_article_pic/a%20-%20key%20art%202_0.png


Joe Pompeo
Feb. 24, 2014


.....Condé Nast chairman Si Newhouse first savored it one morning in August 2010, when Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority at the time, brought the elderly executive and his entourage up to a raw space on the 30th floor. Newhouse looked down pensively at the in-progress 9/11 Memorial Plaza, which was something of a bellwether for measuring how the World Trade Center rebuild was coming along. He remained quiet as his colleagues peppered Ward with questions. Newhouse was mainly concerned with what Condé Nast’s 3,500-person New York-based workforce would think of the place, said Ward. What would their experience of the building be? Were the transit options sufficient? Would they feel safe there?

Here’s one of the great opportunities in the real estate market that only comes along every 10 or 15 years,” Ward recalled when I asked him about that day. “Could it be realized? At that early stage, we were very apprehensive.”

But less than a year later, in May 2011, Condé Nast officially became the anchor tenant of 1 World Trade Center. The $2 billion deal placed a vaunted publishing institution at the center of a landmark reconstruction that symbolizes Lower Manhattan’s rebirth and the resilience of a post-9/11 New York. It was a coup for all the parties involved, as well as was evidence—yet again—that media companies and developers tend to make good bedfellows.

“Doug Durst is a genius,” said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University, speaking of The Durst Organization’s 69-year-old chairman. “He was smart to get Condé to come to Times Square, and now he’s guaranteeing their future by putting them down at the World Trade Center. It’s a win-win. He can raise the rent at 4 Times Square, and for Condé Nast, the World Trade Center is a natural location for the kinds of people who work in the media.”

Today, as the city’s most fraught construction project nears the finish line, the reality of Condé Nast’s rapidly approaching migration is starting to sink in. The company took possession of its floors on Jan. 1 and began building out its new nest. An outside project management firm has been hired to oversee the move, which will commence in November and conclude in the first quarter of 2015.

“This relocation represents a historic moment for our company and symbolizes the enormous transformation we have undergone in the past few years,” chief executive Chuck Townsend informed employees in a memo recently. “As the anchor tenant in one of the world’s most anticipated architectural sites, we have an unprecedented opportunity to take part in shaping the future of New York City.”

The clock is likewise ticking for The Durst Organization. It’s been nearly three years since Condé inked its 25-year, roughly $60-per-square-foot, tax-incentivized lease. As of press time, no other major corporations had followed suit, and 1.4 million square-feet worth of offices remained un-leased. (The other two existing office tenants are China Center New York and the U.S. General Services Administration.)

.....Durst told me in a phone interview that there are two potential takers among the dozens that have looked at 1 World Trade. Both have signed term sheets, and negotiations are ongoing. “We’re very active and hope to be making some announcements shortly,” said Durst. He declined to name names, but he did say these mystery suitors were interested specifically because of Condé Nast, which one of them counts as a client.

Such is the halo effect of blue chip brands moving into neighborhoods that could use a little rehab. In the late ‘90s, when a bargain of a lease lured Condé Nast from 350 Madison Avenue to Durst’s newly-erected 4 Times Square, the surrounding area was transformed from a grimy no man’s land into a power center for media and finance. A few years later, The Related Companies’ construction of the Time Warner Center had a similar impact on Columbus Circle, which went from shabby to chic in short order.

In 2018, when Time Warner sets sail once again, dropping anchor this time on the far West Side, it will be the pièce de résistance of Related’s Hudson Yards redevelopment. And just as Time Warner is expected to breathe new life into a 13-acre former railyard, so too has Condé Nast been heralded as a “game changer,” as Ward put it in a statement when the Port Authority lease was finalized, that “will be truly transformative for Downtown.”

Urban-planning wonks smell a sea change. “The two largest development sites in the city are both defined by having media companies,” said Moss. “Media is a bigger and bigger part of the real estate industry.”

Vishaan Chakrabarti, director of Columbia University’s Center for Urban Real Estate, agrees. “Media tenants are defining the character of these places as opposed to banks,” he said, “and that’s a real shift.”

.....When parts of the fences finally start to come down sometime later this year, the hallowed 16-acre site will begin its reintegration with the prosperous enclaves that surround it—Tribeca to the north, Greenwich South and Battery Park City to the rear, and the Financial District to the east. “I think that’s the challenge for the Trade Center now,” said Barowitz, the Durst Organization representative. “It’s sort of been a city within a city. When the neighborhood is reintegrated, it will stop being an eyesore. The edges will quickly tidy up and become much more compelling.”

Aiding the transition is the expected completion of the much-delayed Fulton Transit Center in July, and of the Santiago Calatrava-designed World Trade Center Transit Hub next year. Both stations will enable connections to 11 different subway lines (and, by 2016, to each other), thereby increasing the neighborhood’s appeal to commuters, including the hordes of Condé Nast employees shuttling in from Brooklyn.

For the Jersey set, the World Trade Center Hub will provide access to the PATH system and the Hudson River ferries, as well as to the World Trade Center Memorial, WTC Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4, Brookfield Place (formerly known as the World Financial Center) and the Winter Garden Atrium. And it’s of course worth noting that Condé’s new home will likewise make for a quicker, more pleasurable drive from the West Village townhouses of top editors like Anna Wintour (Vogue) and Graydon Carter (Vanity Fair).

The very presence of Condé’s denizens is enough to alter the tenor of the neighborhood. The company’s relatively young, stylish, largely female demographic will encourage a certain caliber of retail, experts say, particularly at the new Westfield World Trade Center, which is said to be courting smaller, boutique tenants in addition to big-name brands and upscale eateries. Nor is it hard to picture the arrival of gourmet food trucks, coffee-snob cafes and restaurants befitting power lunches with celebrities, sources, publicists and advertisers.

“If Graydon Carter and Anna Wintour are out having lunch at the local restaurants, that’s gonna have an impact,” said Chakrabarti. And maybe, just maybe, employees will start looking for apartments close to work (the more well-heeled among them might check out the Four Seasons Downtown, a condo-hotel combo that broke ground in December), or at least spend more time sampling the local food and drink before running home to Brooklyn or the suburbs.

“It’s always important to get an anchor tenant,” said Chakrabarti. “It’s something entirely different to get a hip, media-savvy anchor tenant that has a whole cultural milieu around it. [Condé Nast] is a place that has storied magazines and an obvious relationship to celebrity, and I think all of these things are going to give the Trade Center site a tremendous amount of cachet.” Durst’s assessment was more blunt: “It’s going to make it a lot more glamorous.”

.....In 2008, the company made a joint bid with Durst for the Hudson Yards, where Condé cooked up plans for a 1.5 million-square-foot building, but the Yards ended up going to Related. Then the ensuing financial crisis made leasing the more attractive option, which is what brought Newhouse and his advisers down to the World Financial Center on a bus tour one day in 2009. (“The only billionaire I know who gets on buses is SI Newhouse,” Tighe said during her 2011 talk, according to a transcript.)

Lower Manhattan was starting to look palatable. A number of editors and publishers were living below 14th Street. And rent-wise, you could find a much better deal there than in Midtown.

The Newhouse family’s parent company, Advance Publications, which also owns a stable of New Jersey newspapers including The Star-Ledger, was considering splitting up its operations between offices on opposite sides of the Hudson. But as Tighe, Newhouse and the chairman’s nephew Steven climbed the stairs to the Winter Garden, according to Tighe, they looked up at the rising monolith across the street, and inspiration struck.

More than four years later, that propitious first encounter is giving way to reality. Condé Nast declined to discuss the move. But some of the details have already leaked out, such as the demand for an exhaust duct for Condé’s kitchens that was seen as a compromise to architect David Childs’ original design. On the inside, a glut of walled offices will be replaced by open-floor seating with fewer private spaces, a change that may rankle certain staffers and please others. “The overall number of offices at 4 Times Square is viewed as a sort of failure,” one proponent of the new configuration told me. “It’s lots of dark warrens and hallways with dark offices. Wanting big, open, collaborative spaces was part of the move.”

Several months ago, renderings depicting various spaces within the new headquarters were distributed internally. The full document, which was provided by a source, includes images of a large multi-purpose auditorium with hundreds of seats and two large flat-screen TVs; a sleek, spiral-staircase-equipped reception area; an art gallery; a coffee bar; a servery; and a cafe. It will be hard to top Condé Nast’s famous, Frank Gehry-designed cafeteria at 4 Times Square, but the new one, located on the 35th floor, will have sweeping, 360-degree views of the skyscape. There will also be a conference center, a library and private dining.

To accommodate delivery drivers, a $10 million interim loading dock was completed in January and a full-truck scanner is being installed. (The permanent loading dock is still a couple years off.) Every package will be sent down to the basement for scanning. Some editors are concerned about flower deliveries. “Everybody’s really worried about getting stuff in and out of the building,” one editorial staffer said. A “trusted driver” protocol is being developed so that frequent drivers, such as the chauffeurs of Condé’s black town-car fleet, can zip through security.

The plans for which books will be on which floors were still being finalized as of press time. But some titles will be shacking up—The New Yorker and Details, for instance, on floor 39; Bon Appetit and Wired’s New York bureau on floor 36; Vogue on 25. Publishers have been briefed, and some editors have participated in reviews with the design team and architects. Floors 20 through 24 will be occupied by human resources, finance and other operational departments. The auditorium is on 34. Conde Nast will have its own entrance and lobby on the ground floor.

Not all Condé Nasters are moving to 1 World Trade—the technology group and some departments of Condé Nast Entertainment will be housed in an adjacent building at 222 Broadway. The company is doing what it can, however, to make sure all of its employees can find their way around their new neighborhood. There’s been talk of individual magazines producing special guidebooks for internal use: Where to eat; where to get your shoes shined; where to get your hair blown out, etc.




http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/default/files/Si%20Newhouse.jpg http://www.capitalnewyork.com/sites/default/files/Anna%20Wintour%20-%201_0.png

[jmatero]

Comparing the two is NOT ridiculous. They were building the bridge and late in construction cut costs (the depression) and left the towers naked... Just the skeletons showing... To this day.

SOUND FAMILIAR? They didn't redesign the skeleton. They just left it naked. SOUND FAMILIAR? And the result of this is FAR more significant (and noticeable) than WTC.

You (and I) think the Chrysler Building is a masterpiece. Guess what? When it went up, a lot of New Yorkers HATED it. My Grandfather and his brother worked on both the dismantling of the Waldorf Astoria and construction of the ESB. They used to tell us people joked for years about the Chrysler Bldg making fun of the hubcaps and hood armaments. New Yorkers used to call it "The Swordfish".

Few buildings get universal praise as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Again, it's done. Over. Get over it and celebrate. Children today (and future generations) will accept this building as-is.

The ironic part of this? NOBODY in NY liked the twin towers when they went up. Everyone felt they looked like nothing in the city and ruined the skyline. When they replaced the antenna with the larger one, a lot of people were even ticked off. A generation later, nobody cared. Today, we wish they were back.

GET OVER IT.... CELEBRATE.

The 1WTC antenna at least looks consistent its full length... If you want to see a train wreck, look at the ESB:

http://www.necrat.us/empirefm-1.jpg

THIS looks clean and just fine:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3690/12803011403_1c35397c9d_b.jpg
"You can't always get what you want... But if you try sometimes... You might find... You get what you need"

[O-tacular]

For what it's worth The unclad spire is slightly growing on me now that the glass cladding is almost complete. That said it still makes me insane that Durstbag got away with this as a maintenance issue though it's plain as day he did it to fatten his bonus with no regard for design. Contrary to what most on here have stated I find the night lighting garish. It looks like a fucking light sabre completely disconnected from the rest of the building. Maybe it will look better when the top floors are lit but it bothers me that the communication rings are left dark. They are essential to the balance of the spire IMO and hiding them makes it look like an LED toothpick.

[weidncol]

Comparing the two is NOT ridiculous. They were building the bridge and late in construction cut costs (the depression) and left the towers naked... Just the skeletons showing... To this day.

SOUND FAMILIAR? They didn't redesign the skeleton. They just left it naked. SOUND FAMILIAR? And the result of this is FAR more significant (and noticeable) than WTC.

You (and I) think the Chrysler Building is a masterpiece. Guess what? When it went up, a lot of New Yorkers HATED it. My Grandfather and his brother worked on both the dismantling of the Waldorf Astoria and construction of the ESB. They used to tell us people joked for years about the Chrysler Bldg making fun of the hubcaps and hood armaments. New Yorkers used to call it "The Swordfish".

Few buildings get universal praise as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Again, it's done. Over. Get over it and celebrate. Children today (and future generations) will accept this building as-is.

The ironic part of this? NOBODY in NY liked the twin towers when they went up. Everyone felt they looked like nothing in the city and ruined the skyline. When they replaced the antenna with the larger one, a lot of people were even ticked off. A generation later, nobody cared. Today, we wish they were back.

GET OVER IT.... CELEBRATE.

The 1WTC antenna at least looks consistent its full length... If you want to see a train wreck, look at the ESB:

http://www.necrat.us/empirefm-1.jpg

THIS looks clean and just fine:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3690/12803011403_1c35397c9d_b.jpg
"You can't always get what you want... But if you try sometimes... You might find... You get what you need"

I agree with everything you said in there man, props. However, One WTC's spire will look "different" once the broadcasting equipment gets attached. Let that "different" mean what you want, I don't know how it'll look until it's done. Point being, the spire is the way it is and we can't do anything about it. Just get over what happened; it's not a big deal.

[jmatero]

I agree with everything you said in there man, props. However, One WTC's spire will look "different" once the broadcasting equipment gets attached. Let that "different" mean what you want, I don't know how it'll look until it's done. Point being, the spire is the way it is and we can't do anything about it. Just get over what happened; it's not a big deal.

Right on! It's almost done and looking better each day!

:fireworks:

[N830MH]

Earthcam (http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/worldtradecenter/)

As of today

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7403/12888860495_fff3a063fc_b.jpg

Alrighty! Almost done. Can't wait to be completion. Must be so exciting. I can't wait go back to New York City again.

[599GTO]

This spire just looks so sad when you're walking around Manhattan. It looks like a silly illuminated toothpick. No presence whosoever.