WTCfacts

World Trade Center Fact Sheet

Prepared by

Minoru Yamasaki Associates, Architects

The World Trade Center is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a self-supporting agency of the two states. It was developed and constructed by the Port Authority at the request of the two states to serve as headquarters for international trade within the bi-state port. The World Trade Center opened for its first tenants in December 1970.

Size:
The World Trade Center consisted of two 110-story office towers (One and Two World Trade Center), a 47-story office building (Seven World Trade Center), two 9-story office buildings (Four and Five World Trade Center), an 8-story U.S. Custom House (Six World Trade Center), and a 22-story hotel (Three World Trade Center), all constructed around a central five-acre landscaped Plaza. All seven buildings have entrances onto the Plaza as well as onto surrounding city streets. The Mall at the World Trade Center, located immediately below the Plaza was the largest enclosed shopping mall in lower Manhattan, as well as the main interior pedestrian circulation level for the complex.

The two office towers, each rising 1,350 feet, were the tallest buildings in New York City and the 5th and 6th tallest in the world.

The Center contained approximately 12 million square feet of office space, including the two million square feet of office space in Seven World Trade Center. In the two Tower buildings, each floor was approximately one acre in size.

Each Tower contained 4.8 million gross square feet of floor area.

Site:
The Center was located on a 16 acre site in lower Manhattan, stretching from Church Street on the east to West Street on the west, and from Liberty Street on the south to Barclay and Vesey streets on the north.

Average daily population:
Some 50,000 people worked in the World Trade Center. Another 70,000 business and leisure visitors came to the center daily.

Construction and other facts:
More than 200,000 tons of steel was used in the Trade Center's construction. Construction of the Trade Center used 425,000 cubic yards of concrete.

There were 43,600 windows in the two Tower buildings -- over 600,000 square feet of glass.

There were 99 elevators, including 23 express elevators in each Tower building.

There were five levels below ground including parking for almost 2000 cars.

Stations of the three major New York City subway systems -- IRT, BMT and IND. -- were located in the Mall below the towers.

There were "sky lobbies" at the 44 and 78 floors in each Tower. In effect each Tower thus became three buildings, one on top of another. No regular passenger elevator ran all the way to the top.

Cost:
The Port Authority investment in the trade center as of January 1, 1992, was approximately $1. 29 billion.

Chronology:
January 1960 - Development of a World Trade Center by the Port Authority recommended by the Downtown-Lower Manhattan association.
March 1961 - The Port Authority issued a report recommending establishment of a World Trade Center.
January 1964 - The World Trade Center's architectural plan is unveiled.
August 1966 - Site excavation began.
August 1968 - Steel construction began.
December 1970 - The first tenant moved into One World Trade Center (North Tower).
January 1972 - The first tenant moved into Two World Trade Center (South Tower).
April 1973 - The World Trade Center dedicated on April 4, 1973.

Architects:
Minoru Yamasaki Associates of Rochester Hills, Michigan and Emery Roth & Sons of New York designed the World Trade Center.

Structural Engineers:
Skilling, Helle, Christiansen, Robertson - New York

Foundation Engineers:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Engineering Department

Electrical Engineers:
Joseph R. Loring & Associates - New York

Mechanical Engineers:
Jaros, Baum and Bolles - New York

General Contractor-Agent:
Tishman Realty and Construction Company - New York