6 years after the attacks on the WTC, the construction of new buildings is underway

New York - For the first time in six years, the memorial for the victims of the terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center (WTC) will take place at a different location than where 2,749 innocent people lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The reason is the construction work on the memorial and new buildings that will replace the skyscrapers destroyed by terrorists within six years. The memorial service will be held on Tuesday in nearby Zuccotti Park.
    Directly at the site where the two collapsed WTC skyscrapers once stood, a memorial for the victims of the attack and a large park will be completed by 2009. Two massive square fountains made of black granite, mirroring the footprints of the former Twin Towers, will bear the names of all victims along their peripheries, complemented by a museum dedicated to September 11, 2001.
    The enormous, 21-meter-deep pit covering an area of 6.5 hectares, known as Ground Zero, is bustling with workers and heavy construction machinery. The concrete foundation slab, with three upright pillars, indicates where the Freedom Tower, a new 541-meter-high landmark of the city, will be located on the northern side of the memorial. The project by architect David Childs is set to be completed in 2011.
    The construction site for three additional skyscrapers being developed at Ground Zero, which will line the eastern side of the memorial, is preparing for work to begin on two of them in January next year. The third building is set to start construction in July. The buildings are expected to reach street level within a year, and tenants, primarily financial and legal firms as well as trading and production companies, are expected to start moving in between 2012 and 2013.
    Next to the future Freedom Tower at Ground Zero, a cultural center will also be built, along with a vestibule for an important subway interchange among the future skyscrapers.
    The costs of constructing all the new buildings are projected to reach $16 billion (over 320 billion crowns), said Larry Silverstein, who is leasing the land from the city on which the three new skyscrapers will stand.
    The redevelopment of the site affected by the terrorist attacks has been accompanied by speculation and disputes over its future appearance and financing. Delays have also been caused by negotiations with insurance companies and the careful search for the remains of victims. Plans have had to be changed several times, partly due to protests from survivors and increased security requirements. City officials now claim that the established schedule will be adhered to.
    The three new skyscrapers, whose final designs were presented to the public just before the 6th anniversary of the attacks on the WTC, are expected to help restore lively activity to lower Manhattan. The ground floor and several lower levels, as well as the underground, will host shops and restaurants, with open corners and passages around them, and garages in the underground floors.
    Along with the Freedom Tower, the new buildings, standing at heights of 387, 350, and 297 meters, will change the Manhattan skyline. The tallest of them, which will surpass the currently tallest Empire State Building by six meters, will feature a sloped top adorned with four diamond shapes, and it is said to be visible from every part of the city, much like the Freedom Tower.
    Each building was designed by a different architect - the British Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, and the Japanese Fumihiko Maki. "From a creative perspective, each building is different, but architecturally they are compatible and create a cohesive impression," asserts Silverstein. According to him, all buildings will not only meet aesthetic requirements, but also the strictest environmental standards, even during their construction.
    The new buildings will each be architecturally connected to the memorial for the victims of September 11, 2001, in different ways. For instance, Fumihiko Maki has placed a wall in the lobby made of the same polished granite used for the fountains designed as square pools. A glass front wall will then continually reflect the black wall of the memorial.
    The only building that has been completed so far in close proximity to the tragic attacks is currently 72 percent leased, Silverstein reported. He claims this demonstrates the interest of companies to return to lower Manhattan and restore its tradition as the financial heart of the world.