4 World Trade Center

4 World Trade Center, also called 150 Greenwich Street, is a tall building in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is part of the new World Trade Center area. The famous architect Fumihiko Maki designed this 978 feet tall tower. Inside, it holds the main offices of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

This is actually the second building to have this name. The first one, a shorter nine-story building, was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. Building the new 4 World Trade Center began in January 2008, and people could start using it on November 13, 2013. The tower has lots of space—about 2.3 million square feet—to hold offices and other important places.

Site

Main article: World Trade Center site

4 World Trade Center is located at 150 Greenwich Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is part of the new World Trade Center complex. Nearby buildings include St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Liberty Park, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, One World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, 2 World Trade Center, and 3 World Trade Center. Other close buildings are 195 Broadway, the Millennium Hilton New York Downtown hotel, the American Stock Exchange Building, One Liberty Plaza, and Zuccotti Park.

Original building (1975–2001)

The original 4 World Trade Center was a nine-story office building finished in 1975. It stood 118 feet tall and was located at the southeast corner of the World Trade Center area. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki and Emery Roth & Sons, it became home to many businesses. The first people to move in were from the Commodities Exchange Center, followed later by others like Deutsche Bank and the New York Board of Trade.

During the events of September 11, the nearby Twin Towers were damaged, which caused problems for the building. Much of it was destroyed by falling debris, and the rest had to be taken down to clear the area for new construction.

Current building

Site redevelopment

In July 2001, Larry Silverstein rented the original World Trade Center from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). After the September 11 attacks, plans were made to rebuild the area. Architect Daniel Libeskind won a contest to design the new World Trade Center in February 2003. His plan included five towers, a memorial, and a transportation hub. By July 2004, two towers were planned for the southeast corner of the site: 3 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center.

Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki was chosen to design 4 World Trade Center in May 2006. The building was planned to be 61 stories tall and 947 feet high. It would have space for shops at the bottom and offices above. The lower floors would have a different shape than the upper floors. The Port Authority agreed to rent space inside the building, helping to pay for its construction.

Construction

Construction began in 2007 with work on the foundations. There were some delays and disagreements about money and timelines. By 2011, the building was growing quickly, adding about one floor each week. A big part of the building was finished by early 2012. The final piece of steel was put in place on June 26, 2012. The building was flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 but was still finished the next year. It cost about $1.67 billion to build.

Usage

The Port Authority and the city government were the first to move in. At first, there wasn’t much demand for office space in the area. Silverstein rented out space for events. By 2015, about 62% of the building was rented. In 2017, Spotify rented several floors for its headquarters, filling the building completely. Other tenants include SportsNet New York and a nonprofit art group called Silver Art Projects.

Architecture

4 WTC is a tall building that is either 977 feet or 978 feet high, with lots of space for offices.

The outside of the building has glass walls that go all the way from the bottom to the top. Some parts of the glass look shiny, while others are clear. The design was made to respect the nearby memorial. Inside, the lower floors have shops, and the main entrance has a very high ceiling with special artworks hanging from it.

Critical reception

When the building was being built, a writer from The New York Times said that 4 World Trade Center was “the biggest skyscraper New Yorkers have never heard of.” Another newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, said the lobby “offers a grand front to the World Trade Center Memorial” and that the design “is intriguingly calming for a building soon to rest at the heart of the Financial District.” After the tower opened, an architect named Daniel Libeskind said the World Trade Center site had become a special place that shows the world what is great about cities, especially New York City.