One World Trade Center
원 월드 트레이드 센터
One World Trade Center is a glass skyscraper in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center, on the site where the original Twin Towers stood until they were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. It shares its name with the old North Tower, and while it was being planned many people called it the Freedom Tower.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- United States
- Location
- New York, USA
- Built
- 2014
- Height
- 541 m
- Type
- Skyscraper
Quick answers
Where is One World Trade Center?
One World Trade Center is in New York, USA, United States.
When was One World Trade Center built?
One World Trade Center was built in 2014.
How tall is One World Trade Center?
One World Trade Center is about 541 m tall.
The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, rising 1,776 feet on the site of the original World Trade Center.
With its spire, the building is 1,776 feet (541 metres) tall. That number was chosen on purpose: 1776 is the year the United States declared its independence. It is the tallest building in the United States and in the whole Western Hemisphere. The tower opened in November 2014, and an observatory near the top opened in May 2015. Right next to it, the 9/11 Memorial remembers the people who died.
How it was built
Work on the foundations began in April 2006. On 30 April 2012 the rising tower passed the Empire State Building to become the tallest structure in New York City. The spire, built in sections in Canada, was lifted to the top piece by piece, and the last part was put in place on 10 May 2013, bringing the tower to its full height. The architect was David Childs of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Its shape
The tower starts as a square box, 200 feet on each side, which is almost exactly the size of each original Twin Tower's footprint. Above the 20th floor the corners are cut back at an angle, so the sides turn into eight tall triangles, and halfway up the floor plan becomes a perfect octagon. At night a strong beam of light shines up from the spire. The building has 94 real floors, but the top floor is numbered 104, because some numbers are skipped.
Visiting today
The One World Observatory sits near the top of the tower. Five fast lifts called SkyPods carry visitors to the 102nd floor in about 47 seconds, climbing 1,268 feet. On the way up, screens on the lift walls play a time-lapse of New York, starting in the 1500s when the island was forest and fields, and ending with the skyline of today. From the top you can see the rivers, the Statue of Liberty and the city spreading out in every direction.
Fun facts
- The tower's height of 1,776 feet matches 1776, the year of the US Declaration of Independence.
- The SkyPod lifts reach the 102nd floor in under a minute, travelling at up to 23 miles per hour.
- The building has only 94 real floors, but the top one is numbered 104.
- Its square base is almost the same size as the footprint of each original Twin Tower.
On the globe
The model shows New York's tall glass tower with its tapering, faceted sides and the thin spire on top. Zoom in to see how the square base twists into triangles as it rises.
Quiz time
Which is taller: One World Trade Center or Woolworth Building?
Show the answer
One World Trade Center. (541 m vs 241 m) Woolworth Building →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
- Read more on Wikipedia
- One World Trade Center — Wikipedia
- 원 월드 트레이드 센터 — 위키백과
- SkyPod Elevator Experience — One World Observatory
Updated: 2026-10-13