2 World Trade Centre is currently under construction after works commenced in 2008. The building is the capstone in the redevelopment of the World Trade Centre, and is the final component of the revitalisation of Lower Manhattan according to its renowned developers, Silverstein Properties.
Located at 200 Greenwich Street and bounded by Church Street to the east, Vesey Street to the north and Fulton Street to the south, the tower sit at 1,340 feet, respectfully framing the 9/11 Memorial Park alongside One WTC, 3 WTC and 4 WTC.
Designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, the design of 2 WTC is designed to complement its urban context to represent the marriage of two neighbourhoods: the Financial District with its modernist skyscrapers and TriBeCa with its lofts and roof gardens. The design combines the unique qualities of each, melding high-rise with low-rise and modern with historical. From the 9/11 Memorial, the building appears as a tall and slender tower just as its three neighbouring towers, while the view from TriBeCa is of a series of stepped green terraces, according to Silverstein Properties.
Other things BIG also took into consideration were how the design would fit with the other towers and Daniel Libeskind’s master plan, which had included the “wedge of light.” In 2003, Libeskind unveiled the idea of a “Wedge of Light” plaza, which would create a lighting effect on Sept. 11 to coincide with when the first plane hit.
Silverstein Properties — one of NYC’s most respected commercial developers — is the owner of the 2, 3, 4 & 7 World Trade Centre office towers. The innovative buildings continue to set new standards in design, safety & sustainability on an international scale. Each provides cutting-edge tenant environments, along with flexible, highly efficient floor plans, and every state-of-the-art amenity.
According to Silverstein, the 38,000 square feet (3,530 sqm) lobby will connect to the WTC transit hub, providing direct access to 11 subway lines. A public plaza at the foot of the building and access to 350,000 square feet (32,516 sm) of shopping and restaurants in the hub and concourses will drive activity and facilitate community collaboration in the area.
The new building will provide the physical environment for idea sharing through the internal mix of open workplaces and informal meeting spaces. Stairwells between floors feature with cascading double-height communal spaces throughout the headquarters. Amenities include basketball courts, a running track, a cafeteria and screening rooms. The amenity floors are located so they can feed directly out onto the roof top parks, as Silverstein Property's website reports.
BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is a New York and Copenhagen based group of architects, designers and thinkers operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development. BIG is led by 12 partners and 17 Associates. With an international team of more than 200 people, BIG works on projects across a broad spectrum of industries and in more than 20 countries worldwide.
