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So far, our weekly "Views from..." series has taken us to the highest observation decks in London and Hong Kong. As the birthplace of the skyscraper, the United States has an impressive array of unique viewing areas where visitors can absorb urban life from some of the tallest buildings in the country. The Willis Tower in Chicago held the record for tallest building in the United States until the 2013 completion of One World Trade Center in New York City. Though the roof height of the Willis Tower is greater, the soaring spire of One World Trade Center is recognized as an integral component of the building's architecture, and is thus included in the overall height of the building.
With the mast included, the building stretches a symbolic 1,776 feet (541 metres) into the sky, matching its height with the year the United States officially declared independence from the British Empire. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the tower returns a popular observation deck to Lower Manhattan, where the South Tower of the original World Trade Center complex had provided spectacular panoramas of the city.
The massive tower, clad in reflective glazing, reasserts Lower Manhattan's status as a premier business hub. As the remaining office towers of the World Trade Center complex continue their construction, tourists flock to the memorial, museum, and three-storey observatory on floors 100 to 102. Visitors are guided through an entrance, physically separated from the entryway for tenants of the building, into the Global Welcome Center. A large video board greets guests in a variety of languages, while a world map captures the hometowns of the thousands of individuals flowing through the space each day. Guests then experience Voices, a program which tells the stories of the workers involved in building the mammoth skyscraper. On the way to the elevators, guests are finally ushered through a maze-like journey of the bedrock foundations the tower has been built upon. From there, visitors ascend the building in one of five high-speed elevators in less than sixty seconds. Floor-to-ceiling LED technology produces an immersive look at the development of New York City's skyline over the past 500 years.
The main observatory is located on the 100th floor, where visitors receive spellbinding vistas of the natural and built landscapes of the region. At dusk, the lights of 'the city that never sleeps' illuminate the skies and the streets. The setting sun bounces off the Hudson River in the image above, as the dense Midtown Manhattan cityscape can be seen in the distance.
Zooming in, the density of the skyline becomes apparent. The Empire State Building's majestic spire is the tallest peak, accompanied by the green-lit mast of the Bank of America Tower to the west. In between stands the wide south face of Rockefeller Plaza. The pencil-thin 432 Park Avenue can be seen to the east, a monumental harbinger of the host of luxury supertalls that are beginning to change the face of Manhattan. Even further to the east are two of New York City's most identifiable skyscrapers: Citigroup Center and the Chrysler Building.
The Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges are visible as they span the East River. The Frank Gehry-designed 8 Spruce Street dominates the view with its imposing deconstructivist figure. The pyramidal rooftops of the recently completed Beekman Hotel and Residences mimic the crown of the Woolworth Building, which is dressed in protective cloth as its upper floors undergo conversion into residential space. Robert Stern's 30 Park Place is positioned at the bottom left of the above photo. Also recently completed, the building evokes the traditional stone built form of Manhattan.
The observatory also lends views of the growing Jersey City skyline across the Hudson River. 30 Hudson Street (also known as Goldman Sachs Tower) is the tallest building in New Jersey at 238 metres (or 781 feet). Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, the tower was completed in 2004 and features a design similar to that of One and Two International Finance Centre in Hong Kong.
The architectural form of the building precludes the existence of a glass floor, but a 14-foot-wide circular disc recreates the feeling by featuring real-time footage of the streets below. A high-definition ring of video monitors dubbed City Pulse provides information about the city's diverse landmarks and neighbourhoods. The 101st floor offers a slightly more elevated view along with three distinct dining options.
The building is comprised of eight elongated isosceles triangles situated between the square footprint and roof, which are oriented at a 45 degree angle from each other. In the middle of the tower, the floor plate becomes a perfect octagon. This architectural formula guarantees a distinct design for the building while ensuring functional and usable interior spaces for office tenants. Though the building itself is only a few years old, it has already become an iconic symbol of the resilience of New Yorkers. Its dramatic height and positioning reflects the silhouette of the former Twin Towers while implementing a modern twist to its shape and facade. It gives visitors the chance to not only remember the tragic history of the site, but to look forward at its promising future.
Additional images and information can be found in the Database file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion or share your photos? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
