The first tenant has moved into the One World Trade Center, making Monday, November 3, the official opening of the (arguably) tallest building in the Western hemisphere 13 years after the tragedy of 9/11. The “extraordinary moment was passed in the most ordinary of ways,” described the New York Times, as employees of Conde Nast entered into the white marble lobby (taken from the same quarry that produced marble for the original twin towers) and headed straight to the elevators to start their work day.
To celebrate its completion, renowned architectural photographers Iwan Baan and James Ewing took it to the sky to capture the One World Trade Center in all its glory. The images, after the break.
Over the years the 104-story, 1776-foot tall skyscraper designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) has been the center of a number of public squabbles. The latest, a debate over whether or not the $3.9 billion structure’s 408-foot spire should count towards its overall, patriotic 1776-foot height.
The opening happens just days after Santiago Calatrava broke ground on the 16-acre site’s Greek Orthodox Church. You can learn more, here.
