NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 104 FLOORS | 2014

[gramsjdg]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Sep 28, 2021






I wonder if there’s a chance to sue Durst for that theft of spire.

5 million should be enough to install the radome and make the spantenna a legitimate spire.

[worldtrade2021]

Originally Posted by gramsjdg

5 million should be enough to install the radome and make the spantenna a legitimate spire.

The issue is, how would someone guarantee that the money earned in that lawsuit (if Durst ends up being required to pay that amount) goes to installing the radome? It could be argued that installing the radome would lessen the chances of ice falling off the antenna down onto unsuspecting pedestrians below.

If that reasoning was given, maybe the money could go to installing a radome on the antenna.

[QUEENSNYMAN]

One WTC as seen from this angle I took from Broad Channel, Queens, BY NYCSKYSCRAPERS2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HlrYncbocM

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Streamliner

1) There simply isn't enough space alongside the WTC site. The streets certainly wouldn't be large enough, even if they could all be closed for an installation.

2)The tribute lights memorial started very shortly after the attacks, at the 6-month anniversary. Ground Zero at the time was still Ground Zero, so adding a large memorial, even temporary, so close to active work would have been a non-starter.

3) As time went on, Ground Zero became a construction site, also not really a place to put a large memorial.

4) I always thought it would be cool to put the lights around the fountains themselves; they would at least be to scale (currently the lights don't match the actual tower footprint size), but adding a bunch of floodlights and associated wiring/cabling to a memorial on the actual event's anniversary when people want to pay their respects is a terrible idea.

5) From a distance, the effect works well enough. Maybe not for us skyscraper aficionados who can pinpoint each building in the skyline, but it works.

Thats what I always wondered, why not put the lights at the base of the footprints in the memorial?

That is where they truly belong.

[worldtrade2021]

Came across this reasoning for the spire installation on One WTC not including the cladding as was originally planned (spoiler: has nothing to do with inability to clean or install the cladding):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar8TkQmEALI&t=2243s

From 37:36 to 38:34 in the video:
"But then wind tunnel testing showed the design had a serious flaw.

At certain low wind speeds, the kind New York sees regularly - the spire would start to vibrate.

The effect resulted in significant motions of the spire at the tip of the spire.

They could be on the order of several feet, and that could occur on a monthly basis.

As the wind picked up, the effect would diminish, but then return, much, much stronger.

The effects of that long term would be fatigue in the material, and then ultimately failure of the material as it fatigued.

The only way to avert disaster was to was to produce the spire without its cladding.

Now just a network of beams and cables, the wind can pass through it and the problem disappears."

The information in this documentary appears to be from the PBS Documentary Super Skyscrapers EP01 One World Trade Center that aired on February 5, 2014.

[SnellKrell]

Enjoyed watching the documentary. Thanks.

Interesting that in the discussion of Radome being scrapped,
there's no mention of the building's huge construction costs
overruns.

The Radome cladding would have cost many millions!

The wind and maintenance problems have been the only corporate
excuses.

[NYguy]

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/n...?adppopup=true

[worldtrade2021]

These renderings courtesy of dbox that were released in the early 2010s show what could have been, specifically the view during the day:








If anyone ever has enough money they are willing to offer to fund the construction of the radome covering and rest of the spire cladding and they somehow have the chance to be personally involved in overseeing that project they definitely should. Ideally the spire would have been the crowning jewel of the tower instead of an afterthought and more or less a regular tv antenna mast like now.

[CHAPINM1]

Originally Posted by worldtrade2021

These renderings courtesy of dbox that were released in the early 2010s show what could have been, specifically the view during the day:








If anyone ever has enough money they are willing to offer to fund the construction of the radome covering and rest of the spire cladding and they somehow have the chance to be personally involved in overseeing that project they definitely should. Ideally the spire would have been the crowning jewel of the tower instead of an afterthought and more or less a regular tv antenna mast like now.

In time the tower will be revamped and possibly giving some TLC. Take for instance the Empire State Building which was recently overhauled. This building will be iconic enough to be giving it's well deserved spire in the future, not to mention modifications to the upper floors/observatory and how they may play into the top of the building if and when the technology changes.

[worldtrade2021]

Originally Posted by CHAPINM1

In time the tower will be revamped and possibly giving some TLC. Take for instance the Empire State Building which was recently overhauled. This building will be iconic enough to be giving it's well deserved spire in the future, not to mention modifications to the upper floors/observatory and how they may play into the top of the building if and when the technology changes.

I really hope so, but it's way more likely if someone can have not only the money but proper oversight to make sure that is done and the funds go to that project and aren't spent elsewhere.

As long as Durst is managing One World Trade Center however, it doesn't seem likely that it will occur since it was part of the decision by management at Durst to not install the radome cleaning.

There have been issues like improper window cleaning during Durst's management
https://www.bisnow.com/new-york/news...in-court-74825


CBRE replaced Cushman and Wakefield for oversight of the 16 acre WTC site after Cushman and Wakefield's term was marked by criticism and various under performances, including leaks from the Oculus skylight https://therealdeal.com/2021/03/26/p...to-manage-wtc/

so if another organization that is more attentive of One WTC gains a significant stake in the management of the tower, it's possible that the antenna will eventually be covered. Even if that happens though, it probably won't look like the design of the radome spire cladding that architect David Childs had in mind.

However, according to the following article, the Durst Organization (as of 2014) had a 99 year lease on the property
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erincar...h=7dfe9b674dad so absent some real estate company outbidding Durst, that isn't likely in the near future.

Very few major renovations or projects happen in NYC without the favor of the mayor of NYC and governor of New York. If people like former governor Andrew Cuomo or someone close to him can be convinced of the need to spruce up the spire with radome cladding at One WTC, such an undertaking would imo become much more likely in the near future.

[QUEENSNYMAN]

One WTC appears in my latest video, BY NYCSKYSCRAPERS2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm15ZifRcbg

[QUEENSNYMAN]

A look back 10 years ago today of the continued construction of 1 WTC and what it looked like back then as seen from Breezy Point, Queens and videoed on my old channel now reuploaded it here. BY NYCSKYSCRAPERS2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L11UDuQ4c0c

[NYguy]

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/n...?adppopup=true

[worldtrade2021]

From @_wtcofficial on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZfPF7ilFdr/

[MolsonExport]

I think I would like this building much more if it didn't have that crappo saucer and antenna.

[worldtrade2021]

It's coming up on almost a year since the eastern entrance to One World Trade Center was fully completed and the elevated eastern plaza was repaved, stairways at the northern portion of the plaza to connect to the lower surface of Vesey Street were finished, and all the trees on the eastern plaza were planted.

Assuming the eastern plaza of One World Trade Center isn't open within the next three months, it might take until the Performing Arts Center is open in 2023 for it to be accessible to the public.

When the eastern plaza is open, it will be another small step to recovery. Just like Greenmarket hadn't been at the WTC from September 12, 2001 until Summer 2017, there hasn't been an open eastern plaza to a main WTC tower in Lower Manhattan since September 11, 2001.

The eastern plaza is slightly larger than the walk-able area of the western plaza and it is rumored on business insider that the eastern plaza will also become the main entrance (currently the elevated plaza adjacent to West Street is the main entrance for observatory visitors).

It is not out of question that one day outdoor concerts could again be held on the eastern plaza just as they were on the original eastern plaza near the base of the old 1 WTC, especially considering the proximity of this new eastern plaza to the Performing Arts Center.

In the mean time, this is the default image (taken in January 2022 by Shinji Yoshida) that currently displays for One World Trade Center on google maps:

[worldtrade2021]

These pictures of 1 WTC by @paulgomango on instagram show how 1 WTC only has the presence the north tower (if it was still standing) had:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZmPGhcu3He/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZo1WegOuzY/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZg4XySOF8f/


As these images show, 3 WTC and 4 WTC look more like shorter twins, while 1 WTC stands alone. It will take the construction of 2 WTC to regain some of the heft the original twin towers had on the Lower Manhattan skyline.

[QUEENSNYMAN]

A video I took yesterday which ONE WTC APPEARS, BY NYCSKYSCRAPERS2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA5P5r4UGSA

[NYguy]

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

[worldtrade2021]

Close up picture taken in 2018 of east plaza rendering courtesy of StrongIsland on New York Yimby Forums:



Another rendering courtesy of TK2000:



Street level of 1 WTC will look much nicer and more integrated into the surroundings once the east plaza is open and outdoor seating is set up.