One World Trade Center Reaches 1776 Feet After Spire Installed

One World Trade Center reached 1,776 feet tall on Friday after the skyscraper’s world-class broadcast antenna was finally installed. The silver spire’s installation ended an emotional 12-year effort to restore a key part of the NYC skyline.

The 408-foot spire, which weighs 758 tons, was lifted into place by New York construction company Tishman. Workers secured the final two portions of the spire with 60 bolts at 1,701 feet.

Loud applause and shouts were heard from construction workers assembled below the spire at One World Trade Center as the massive piece was gently lowered and secured in place.

The building, which stands at the site where the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks destroyed the 110-story Twin Towers, now holds the spot as the tallest building in the country.

Speaking from a temporary platform on the roof of One World Trade Center, project manager for Tishman Construction Juan Estevez stated, “It’s a pretty awesome feeling. It’s a culmination of a tremendous amount of team work … rebuilding the New York City skyline once again.”

One World Trade Center’s height, 1,776 feet, is a tribute to the year the US declared its independence. The building rises from the northwest corner of the site the Twin Towers once stood. The 72-story Four World Trade Center and other buildings are also under construction.

The newest trade center will open for business in 2014 with tenants like publisher Conde Nast, the government’s General Services Administration, and Vantone Holdings China Center.

The elegant spire erected on Friday will both give One World Trade Center the height needed to claim the title, as well as provide world-class broadcasting services to the same companies who used a spire atop the Twin Towers.

For Lee Ielpi, whose firefighter son died when responding to the attacks on 9/11, the near-complete trade center was exciting. He stated on Friday from his office at the nearby 9/11 Tribute Center, “The building looks spectacular … I’m looking forward to the day when the cranes come down and they light the spire at night. It’s supposed to be a very moving experience.”

The Port Authority stated that the light atop One World Trade Center will be activated in the next few months.

[Image via Mariordo (Camila Santos Ferreira/Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz)]