Construction will soon restart on 2 World Trade Center following a commitment by American Express to serve as the anchor tenant for the 1,226-foot Financial District supertall. Designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by Silverstein Properties, the 55-story structure is the final component of the 16-acre World Trade Center complex and is slated to yield 1.95 million rentable square feet. The full-block property is bounded by Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, Church Street to the east, and Greenwich Street to the west.
New renderings were also paired with the announcement. The above visual looks up at 2 World Trade Center from the 9/11 Memorial. Below are aerial perspectives showing the stepped crown culminating in a flat roof, with the spire from the last design iteration omitted.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
Two street-level renderings highlight the base and its façade elements, which consist of floor-to-ceiling glass and dense metal screens at the mechanical levels and around the tower’s setbacks. A vast lobby enclosed in soaring glass walls, similar to those of 3 and 4 World Trade Center to the south, will be situated along Greenwich Street. Metal paneling is shown covering the perimeter columns.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
The last rendering looks up at 2 World Trade Center, emphasizing its six staggered loggia terraces, which will feature large-scale greenery.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
The structure’s history dates to 2005, when Foster + Partners unveiled a striking design consisting of four columns culminating in a crown of diamonds sloping toward the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, symbolizing a connection between the ground and the sky.
2 World Trade Center, originally designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners. Black and white drawing by Michael Young
Construction on the substructure began in 2007 but stalled in 2012, leaving it at street level for nearly 14 years. The unfinished base remains covered in corrugated metal sheds adorned with colorful murals. The eastern edge of the property along Church Street has been used as a seasonal outdoor beer garden during the warm months.
Two World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young
Following an initial 2015 redesign by Bjarke Ingels Group for Fox Corporation, the project has cycled through various proposals from Foster + Partners in efforts to secure other anchor tenants like Deutsche Bank. The designs have since evolved from BIG’s original concept of cascading, terraced blocks into a final hybrid iteration from Foster + Partners that merges the stacked massing with a staggered crown from a previous proposal. See our last post from November 2025 for a more comprehensive timeline and renderings of the various design iterations.
American Express, the last anchor tenant courted by Silverstein for 2 World Trade Center, announced its commitment to the project yesterday morning. The company plans to make the skyscraper the home of its new global headquarters capable of supporting 10,000 employees across flexible floor arrangements and modern workspaces. The building’s stepped terraces are expected to yield more than 1 acre of outdoor space, and the tower will be equipped with advanced technology and fully electric, energy-efficient systems. The project will also pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The construction of 2 World Trade Center is projected to create more than 3,200 direct and indirect construction-related jobs in New York City. The project is also expected to contribute nearly $5.9 billion to the city’s economy and $6.3 billion to the economy of New York State.
American Express’s headquarters has been located at 200 Vesey Street since 1986. Construction on 2 World Trade Center is scheduled to begin sometime this spring, with a completion date in 2031.
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Some of those higher terraces might get rather breezy.
Good news. But the 2005 design was better. This one has no style or grace.
I 100% agree
Great news, but 5 years?
The foundation and street level are already finished.
I am so happy this is getting built. But the design is just so blah. Foster’s buildings have gotten so boring, so plain. The original design was frankly one of the better NY Skyscraper designs in a century, and they blew it with boxes and loggias that will be too windy to ever set foot on. What could have been an icon is now just another building.
His Chase building is fantastic, and I thought a return to form, but alas here we are. I just hope some other developer is like “build that one for me”
Somewhat boring for the Trade Center area.
Thats what they said about the twin towers lol
Wow! This is fantastic news!
Exciting. Glad to read the that roof height won’t exceed that of One World Trade. I’m also wondering if that top block will be illuminated “AMEX Blue”, which the rendering seems to suggest/hint?
For those that suggest the final design is boring, I’d say that’s a good thing. One World Trade should remain the focal point of the site, which this design reinforces.
This design does nothing to address or reinforce 1 WTC except the fortress like base which just ruins the pedestrian experience
Please explain how the original design reinforced or complimented that of One World Trade…
In my opinion, it actually stole some of the limelight and offered zero cohesion. So while I agree with nearly everyone that the original design was the best, I personally would have preferred to see a twin to One World Trade without the spire.
Nothing special, and sooo late…
So let me understand AI won’t destroy the job market? Why keep building office space? Also this proves what the new mayor has said a 2% tax increase won’t stop building.
I’m curious why you follow YIMBY. Seriously.
Excellent news I didn’t see coming. And an honest 1226 ft height with no spire silliness. Whilst I loved the original design, this will nevertheless constitute an attractive addition to the skyline.
Yes, I agree 100%. I think we are the only two who see it this way 😂
Very happy to see the final office tower for the World Trade Center Complex is finally coming to completion. This has been a long time coming. I do wish the original height of 1,360 feet was still on the table. And I do wish the architectural design was more revolutionary, but at this point, let’s get it done. Something is better than nothing after 25 years.
renders show the southern fulton/oculus side have an ugly blank street wall. they need to add some small retail or at least an oculus mall entrance there.
i can understand why 1wtc is a fortress unfortunately, but the others are not and this one need not be so much.
other than that great news — we have long known the design glad it will get underway asap this spring.
I’m glad the spire here has been eighty-sixed, this new tower needs to differ to One World Trade, not compete with it.
Yes, I agree 100%. I think we are the only two who see it this way 😂
Why would this take six years to build? The Empire State Building was completed in one year. It seems that as technology advances, construction timelines only get longer, although I wouldn’t blame technology for that. If anything, modern technology should be making the process faster.
The original empire State building lacked most of the MEP and technology systems that modern buildings require.
Yeah, what everyone above said.
Ham fisted stoic and drab design. Not sure why Foster is getting so many NYC commissions the work is simply boring
It seems like Foster is the new SOM.
He hasn’t devolved quite that far yet, but he’s getting there.
Don’t know if this is the final design but given its 25 years later, I almost feel that any construction is welcomed. That site has been an eyesore to that site corner as long as I worked on the redesign Downtown Design Partnership team. And I think the building has a unique design but I’d like to see the angled 4 diamond tip restored.
Well, at least nobody is complaining that this is just another ‘glass box’..like everything else, the ‘genius is in the details’ Let’s give this one a chance.
Disappointed in the change – looks like every other building – no uniqueness at all. I also foresee 2036, not 2031 to be honest. Everything down here has never opened on its first publicized date – why would this one be any different?
And, what of 200 Vesey? Between 200 Vesey and 140 West, I can’t quite explain it, but it feels weird to lose VZ and AXP, who hold such significance to 9/11. It already feels strange with 140’s change. I know it’ll feel even more strange with 200 Vesey moving on. The sentiment of it all.
Why? Because the foundation is already built. That takes 1-2 years off the construction schedule for a building of this size.
I’m just so delighted, almost relieved, to see this finally getting built. I would love to see a more adventurous design, but sometimes you just have to go with the forces that align to get it done.
Wow, how come nobody complained that they’re only 55 stories. I guess people are accepting the fact that high ceilings are a great luxury for hard-working people.
If you’re a shareholder I guess you might ask that question, but otherwise, why ask? It’s what they feel is best suited to the needs of their employees and long term growth. And if you’re trying to attract a generation that hid from CV19, it probably makes a lot of sense to keep it open and airy.
To put that next to Santiago’s work is pretty odd. I am surprise they wouldn’t push in/out the sections in between the terraces to give it some undulation, some movement and finish off the top with some other than a glass box water tower cover. So, all these ‘starchitects’ get all these accolades, and all this money and come up with glass boxes. I see.
I have every confidence in 2 World Trade being built and looking great..cept for that “large scale greenery part” to emphasize the terraces..other structures like The Spiral at Hudson Yards have shown us that ‘greenery’ often gets short shift.
I meant ‘short shrift’
This is not “the final component of the 16-acre World Trade Center complex”. It’s the final office component. 5 WTC, which will be mostly residential, will be the final piece.
Wrong. This IS the final component, and the final office tower go up on the original 16-acre site.
The land where the new 5 WTC will go up was where the old Deutsche Bank tower was, which was NOT part of the Twin Towers complex.
I do remember Tower 3 was stalled for a good 3-5 yrs at only 5 floors then as soon as they got the green light to move forward, it was fast and already prominent in the downtown skyline. This will be the same. Foundation is already there and topped out at street level.
I’m so glad that the building finally getting built. Looks like the architect and developer decided to realize potential of existing conditions and came up with more economical design that satisfy the tenant. First Foster design was beautiful but it didn’t connected to reality. The diamond shape of upper levels couldn’t accommodate mechanical rooms and utilities runs. As a result a lot of area and ceiling were lost on offsets. New Foster’s design is a lot of more practical. Good luck everyone.