Did you know the original World Trade Center wasn’t just about the Twin Towers - it was a 7-building complex in Lower Manhattan built between 1966 and 1975, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki? When it officially opened in 1973, the Twin Towers soared 110 floors each, briefly holding the title of tallest buildings in the world.
The Twin Towers became the symbol of Capitalism, New York and the U.S.
Battery Park City was created from the Landfill of the World Trade Center and is considered an architectural and engineering wonder.
The second King Kong was filmed there and King Kong fell into the Plaza.
It had the highest and one of the best restaurants in New York City, Windows on the World which was both high end, romantic and had amazing views. One of the very few restaurants in the world that had both marriage proposals and business meetings in the same place!
The North Tower rose 1,368 feet, with an antenna pushing it to about 1,728 feet making it a New York icon long before today’s skyline. Each tower’s base covered about one acre, and on windy days, they could sway up to a foot in either direction!
Interesting Fact- the complex even had its own ZIP code 10048 a rarity shared by very few places in the U.S. Inside, there were 198 elevators spanning 15 miles of shafts, powered by some of the largest elevator motors of their time. Beyond business, the plaza was full of life. The five-acre Austin J. Tobin Plaza featured the iconic bronze sculpture The Sphere by Fritz Koenig. The towers also became the stage for incredible human feats:
- 1974: Philippe Petit stunned the world walking a tightrope between the towers, 1,350 feet up.
- 1975: Owen Quinn made the first parachute jump off the North Tower.
- 1977: George Willig, the “human fly,” scaled the South Tower’s façade.
Visitors flocked to the South Tower’s “Top of the World” observation deck, where on a clear day you could see up to 50 miles away.
The World Trade Center was more than concrete and steel, it was a living symbol of ambition, connection, and resilience. Lest We Forget the lives, stories, and spirit forever tied to these towers.
