Designs for three new office towers for WTC site unveiled

The much anticipated designs for three tall towers to be built on the East end of the WTC site were unveiled today at a press conference held on the 52nd floor of WTC 7, the first of five towers to be built at the site. The event was hosted by real estate developer Larry A. Silverstein and the Port Authority of New York New Jersey. All three architects for the buildings, Sir Norman Foster, Lord Richard Rogers and Fumihiko Maki were in attendance. Foster and Partners is designing Tower Two, containing 2.4 million of office space, Richard Rogers Partnership will design Tower Three with 2 million square feet and Maki and Associates is the architect for Tower Four with 1.8 million square feet. All three towers will form a descending spiral toward the Memorial and will include a half million square feet of interconnected retail space at their base. Construction of the towers is to begin in 2007 with completion slated for 2012

Sharon McHugh
WAN US correspondent