Number five on YIMBY’s end-of-year countdown is Two World Trade Center, aka 200 Greenwich Street, a 1,350-foot-tall office skyscraper and the last major component of the 16-acre World Trade Center complex. Earlier this year, it was announced that Norman Foster of Foster + Partners would return as the architect for project, which is being developed by Larry Silverstein, head of Silverstein Properties. However, the highly anticipated revamped design of Foster’s original 2006 proposal has yet to be revealed.
Progress has yet to resume at the site, which is bound by Greenwich Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Church Street to the east, and Fulton Street to the south. The structure began construction in 2010 but was halted just above street level, leaving only a couple floors of walls, columns, and mechanical ducts that sit covered in colorful murals. Access to the Oculus and subways is still open and publicly accessible through the doorways on the wide northern and southern sides of the property. The eastern end of the pedestrian plaza has been closed off as work takes shape on what will become a wooden trellis structure for an outdoor beer garden.
Looking toward One World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young
Two World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young
Standing back from West Street or Church Street reveals the gap in the skyline between Three World Trade Center and One World Trade Center that the future supertall will eventually fill.
The World Trade Center complex. Photo by Michael Young
The World Trade Center complex. Photo by Michael Young
The original concept featured a striking slanted crown with four diamond-shaped surfaces that point straight down to the 9/11 Memorial reflecting pools. The scale of this architectural gesture would have certainly stood out among the Lower Manhattan skyline. It’s still unclear, however, whether this element will make it into the final iteration.
2 World Trade Center, originally designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners. Black and white drawing by Michael Young
Rendering by sinaevart
We hope to see some confirmation of construction resuming in the near future with completion in the next several years. YIMBY will keep a close eye on any design reveals or announcements.
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Here’s hoping the best design is the one we haven’t seen yet!
Love it… Well stated!
Agreed! It’s pretty sad that I’m incredibly relieved that Bjark Ingels Group’s horrible monstrosity will not be built. I don’t love Foster+Partners’ design but it’s much less hideous. It’s almost nice. It’s just not that interesting – but that’s what Silverstein is going for – clearly. Not interesting but not hideous. A true business transaction.
I loved the original design… hopefully Foster comes up with something equally as beautiful and iconic.
Agreed.
Ah, the World Trade Center. The best place in all of New York City, or at least for me. All the photos in this article gives me nostalgia of all the times I viewed the New World Trade Center skyscrapers. They’re all truley the most high quality buildings of the 21st century. And ever since the completion of Three World Trade Center, I’ve been longing for a new glassy World Trade Center skyscraper. Obviously, the remaining are Five, Six (is that even happening?), and of course, Two. The original design of Two World Trade Center was amazing, and I’ve missed it ever since its ultimate halt. The BIG design was a big flop, and it didn’t fit the World Trade Center at all. Now, let’s hope we’ll soon be brought with a design that will be instantly iconic, just like the other towers of the most sacred site of New York City.
Thank you
Design and plans look impressive.
One giant glass tower after another @ Hudson Yards…why can’t this get done?
Yeah! Really.
Remarkable that this is just number 5 on the list. This 2010s skyscraper boom has been extraordinary.
Agreed! Especially when you may recall that in the first year or so after the WTC’s destruction, many were saying there should never be another tall skyscraper built in NYC again because everyone will be too scared to go into it! For deathly fear of another terror attack. Irrational.
That’s right. In NYC, you have to take the long view. This city has an almost unmatched ability to rebound from loss.
The angle of the first rendering above is deceptive. This building will be the same height as the Freedom Tower, except for the toothpick on top, and will be more bulky. It will totally steel focus.
I want this built as much as the next person, but this tower has been on hold for years with no construction and shouldn’t be on this list until there is actual confirmation of the design and a new timeline for construction. It just makes this list weirdly inconsistent.
I agree. Until we have a firm resumption-of- construction date on WTC 2, and building construction equipment re-appears at the site, WTC2 should not appear on this countdown list. I personally believe 2 will never be built. A terrible shame – they should have built 2 along with 1, but instead they went with 4 – the shortest! 3 was thankfully added later. But there’s still the big gap between WTC 1 and 3 that 2 is supposed to fill. It’s not going to happen.
NYC’s red tape is horrid
This should have been built years ago
its not red tape larry doesnt have a major client for it yet thats why it hasnt been built.
Foster’s Design is much too heavy-handed for this elegant skyline adjacent to the Freedom Tower with its elegant taper. Dare I say that Foster’s design is harsh?
Yes, it definitely is, and I would not wish that the design would give terrorists further reasons to attack my country. Respectfully, Katherine Grace, AIA
We need to build a 2nd(Twin) 1 WTC at 2 WTC site. Of course, no attenna.
Then the Twin Towers will live once again!
Why not built another twin towers ? Or maybe something like they did in Guangzhou with the “Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre”.
Why don’t they just build another building just like building WTC1?
They should of built 1 WTC closer to where the PAC is going and have the PAC on the west side of it. The oculus should be where the base of 2 WTC is. Then build 2 WTC in oculus this way master plan would still be in compliance and like others have said build 2 to twin 1. They would be diagonal to each other not exactly like the original towers but similar. Without being able to be diagonal it will look odd from East/West views. This should of been done 15 years back it would bring a compromise to people who wanted the twin effect back and still adhering too the master plan.