World Trade Center Site
World Trade Center Site (also Ground Zero ) refers to the area of the World Trade Center in New York City that was destroyed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 .
Ground Zero stands in the (English) military language for the aboveground explosion point of an atom bomb or missile .
The 6.47 hectare site of the former World Trade Center was almost completely dismantled and dredged after the terrorist attacks. On the one hand, the remains of the victims' bodies were to be recovered and, on the other hand, the reconstruction was to be prepared.
The property belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (port authority of both states), but the east side is leased long-term to the real estate company Silverstein Properties of the New York businessman and billionaire Larry Silverstein for 3.2 billion US dollars .
The excavation
After eight months, the last smoke from underground smoldering fires rose from the rubble field. The rubble and excavation ended up in the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island , NY. The eviction was declared complete in May 2002.
During the clearing of the debris and the excavation, an attempt was made to recover the body parts by sieving them out and to subject them to genetic identification . For many people killed was so much later after respective one (small) part of the body ritual burial are. Identification was not possible for some tissue and body parts.
As a result, there is a public debate in the USA about the meaning of both places (Ground Zero / WTC site and the excavated landfill in New York State), whether they are memorial sites like a memorial or the grave for many unidentifiable victims of the attacks from 2001 are.
Places and forms of memorial
The first places of remembrance were barriers and wall surfaces on which relatives and friends had attached photos, letters to the dead and memorabilia such as the daughter's favorite soft toy. In the first few days after the attacks, desperate relatives posted missing persons notices and set up candles there.
The 7.60 m tall fountain sculpture "Globus" by Fritz Koenig, The Sphere - made of 52 bronze segments on a steel frame (1971) - was found completely and only partially damaged by an airplane seat. With the assistance of the artist, it was erected at The Battery in 2002 as a souvenir and given a corresponding inscription.
In 2006, a memorial wall for their 343 relatives was inaugurated as an official memorial on Liberty Street in Fire Station 10 of the New York City Fire Department . In addition, a parade group takes part in commemoration of the annual “St. Patrick's Day ”parade and carries a total of 343 American flags.
The Tribute in Light is a light installation that, on special days, commemorates the two towers and the victims of the attacks who perished with them. Floodlights replicate the outlines of the towers.
The WTC cross (The Cross) is on the square of the former Orthodox Church on the corner of West / Liberty. Similarly, crosses made of steel girders from the WTC have also been set up elsewhere.
Few relics have been found in the rubble, some of which are on display in an exhibition across the street, in the Vesey Street Survivors' Staircase .
Further relics and a photo documentation will be shown in the Ground Zero Museum Workshop in the Meatpacking District. This small museum is operated among other things. by Gary Marlon Suson. Suson was the official photographer for the New York Fire Department during the Ground Zero cleanup.
The “last piece” of site , a last piece of the steel structure from Tower 2, was ceremoniously removed at the end of the rescue and clearance work. The ceremony was like a funeral procession. The site was officially cleared as a ruin site in May 2002. It kept the name the Pile for many .
Steel from the World Trade Center was then used for the bow of the new naval ship USS New York .
The construction of a Reflecting Absence memorial was planned. The concept came from Daniel Libeskind , the execution was done by Michael Arad . There is a memorial exhibition under two large water basins.
Local traffic, transit
Part of the PATH station WTC , the passage to Eighth Avenue , has been preserved. A temporary stop is currently being used for the underground lines. Since it uses the old lines and thus partly runs over the ground plan of the former south tower, it is controversial among relatives of the victims.
reconstruction
At Ground Zero, a new building complex with a memorial is currently being built as the new World Trade Center:
Tower 1 (One World Trade Center)
The One World Trade Center is the main building of the complex. It is located on the northwest corner of the site. Construction began in 2006, the final completion was in November 2014, while the topping-out ceremony was celebrated in May 2013. At 541 meters tall, it is the tallest building in the United States and one of the tallest in the world. The architect David Childs of SOM designed the new design of the 104-story skyscraper. Until March 2009 the building was called Freedom Tower , but was then renamed One World Trade Center.
Tower 2
Tower 2, also known as Two World Trade Center or 200 Greenwich Street, will be the second building in the complex. At 411 meters, the second tallest tower in the ensemble of buildings and the city was designed by Norman Foster . When completed, the building will be the second tallest in New York. The building will have 88 floors, but due to the low need for additional office space, it will initially only be erected just above street level. Full completion is expected to take place after 2020.
Tower 3
Tower 3, also known as Three World Trade Center or 175 Greenwich Street, is the third building in the complex. The 80-story tower is 329 meters high, making it the sixth tallest skyscraper in the city and the second tallest in the complex. The skyscraper, which was completed in 2018, was planned by the British Richard Rogers .
Tower 4
Tower 4, also known as Four World Trade Center or 150 Greenwich Street, is the fourth building in the complex. Construction of the tower began in 2008. The 297 meter high structure has 72 floors and reached its final height in 2012. The opening was in 2013. The Japanese Fumihiko Maki was responsible for the planning.
World Trade Center Memorial
The World Trade Center Memorial became the centerpiece of the complex, which is surrounded by the towers. It consists of a pavilion. There is a museum and a memorial for the 2,749 victims of the attacks. In the places of the former north and south towers there are - exactly on their ground plans - large basins in which water flows. Around the pools is a park with trees.
7 World Trade Center
The 7 World Trade Center opened in 2006 and is the first building to be built as part of the complex. Like the One World Trade Center, the 228-meter-high building, which has 52 floors that are now extensively rented, was designed by David Childs from Skidmore, Owings and Merrill . It is not located directly on Ground Zero, but on an area directly to the north of Ground Zero.
Discussion of costs
The discussion about the sensible use of private and state funds did not fail to materialize. This involved conflicts between the dignified design of a historical site (grave, memorial site, museum), the insurance processing of claims for damages and the maximization of profits for property users in one of the most expensive city center locations.
Miscellaneous
In early July 2010, the remains of an 18th century ship were found on the World Trade Center site . Dendrochronological studies of the hickory keel showed that the wood of the ship was felled in the vicinity of Philadelphia after 1773 .
Web links and sources
- LowerManhattan.info (English)
- An Appraisal: Rediscovering and Celebrating the Vertical Life , The New York Times , Dec. 19, 2002 (English)
- Archive of the official WTC web site ( Memento from August 3, 2001 in the Internet Archive ), August 3, 2001
- City Proposes Swapping Land to Control Trade Center Site , The New York Times , August 3, 2002
- Critic's Notebook: Designers' Dreams, Tempered by Reality , The New York Times , February 26, 2003
- Design Review: A Goal for Ground Zero: Finding an Urban Poetry , The New York Times , January 28, 2003
- From Political Calculation, a Sweeping Vision of Ground Zero , The New York Times , March 3, 2003
- Op-Ed: Ground Zero Is So Over , by Frank Rich, The New York Times , May 29, 2005
- Panel Makes Unexpected Choice for World Trade Center Site , The New York Times , February 26, 2003
- ProjectRebirth.org (English)
- Put.com/WTC (English)
- Trade Center Developer Is Portrayed in Court as Calculating , The New York Times , February 5, 2003
- TributeNYC.org (English)
- Two Finalists Are Selected for the Void at Ground Zero , The New York Times , February 5, 2003
- The conceptual history of Ground Zero
- Flickr album Ground-Zero Photographs - 2389 photos of the rescue and cleanup operations in September and October 2001
Individual evidence
- ^ Definition of "ground zero" from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
- ↑ WTC Staircase Leads Endangered Sites List
- ↑ Ground Zero Museum Workshop ( Memento from December 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Website of the memorial in German ( Memento from July 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on January 9, 2012.
- ^ Workers Find Hull of 18th Century Ship at World Trade Center , wtc.com
- ↑ The excavated Ground Zero ship dates from the 18th century. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on August 1, 2014 ; Retrieved July 30, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 40 ° 42 ′ 42 " N , 74 ° 0 ′ 45" W.