A few months ago, One World Trade Center became the tallest building in New York when it surpassed the Empire State Building‘s height of 1,250 feet – and now a construction update reveals that the tower has officially reached 105 stories. When finished, the city’s most highly-anticipated building will stand at 1,776 feet (a height chosen to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence), and according to the latest reports, progress is going well.
In addition to reaching 105 floors, the tower’s construction has also seen the installation of a glass curtain wall above the 82nd floor and concrete floors poured above the 93rd floor. The “cocoon” safety system is now in place around the upper perimeter and will continue to rise with the building. If construction continues at this rate, it is expected that the installation of the 408-foot-tall telecommunications spire will be done by the end of summer.
Progress has also been made on the surrounding buildings. At 2 World Trade Center, construction workers have completed the street level superstructure and are currently installing the building’s mechanical systems. Meanwhile 3 World Trade Centre is expected to see the tower’s lower podium reach its full seven-story height by September.
Construction is also proceeding on the World Trade Center Transportation Hub. Steel and concrete has been placed underneath the 1 subway line along the Greenwich Street corridor. The West Street pedestrian underpass (the “east-west connector”), which links the World Trade Center with Battery Park City’s World Financial Center, is almost finished on the west side of the WTC site.
The $3.9 billion project is slated for completion in late 2013 or early 2014.
