After terrorists struck the World Trade Center towers, architects proposed ambitious plans for reconstruction in New York. Some people said the designs were impractical and that America could never recover. But now skyscrapers are rising and those early dreams seem within reach. Just look at how far we've come.
- 2001 through 2005: Read below for events in the early years after the terrorist attacks.
- 2006 through 2011: Continue to page 2 to see how much progress we've made.
September 2001: Terrorists Attack
Photo © Chris Hondros/Getty Images
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 destroyed New York's 16-acre World Trade Center complex and killed an estimated 2,749 people. In the days and weeks after the disaster, rescue workers searched for survivors and then, remains. Many first-responders and other workers later became gravely ill with lung conditions brought on by smoke, fumes, and toxic dust.
Winter 2001 - Spring 2002: Debris Cleared
Photo © Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The collapse of the World Trade Center buildings left some 1.8 billion tons of steel and concrete. For many months, laborers worked through the night to clear away the debris. New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani created the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) to plan the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan and distribute $10 billion in federal reconstruction funds.
May 2002: Last Support Beam Removed
Photo © Spencer Platt/Getty Images
December 2002: Many Plans Proposed
Photo © Spencer Platt/Getty Images
February 2003: Master Plan Selected
Photo courtesy of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.
From the many proposals submitted, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation selected Studio Libeskind to design a master plan that would restore the 11 million square feet of office space that had been lost on September 11, 2001. Architect Daniel Libeskind proposed a 1,776-foot (541m) spindle-shaped tower with room for indoor gardens above the 70th floor. At the center of the World Trade Center complex, a 70-foot pit would expose the concrete foundation walls of the former Twin Tower buildings.
December 2003: New Design Unveiled
Photo © Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
After extensive revisions, Daniel Libeskind's plan for the World Trade Center site was transformed. Working with Libeskind on Freedom Tower, skyscraper architect David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill pushed for dramatic changes. The re-designed Freedom Tower was officially presented on December 19, 2003. David Childs became the lead architect the following summer.
January 2004: Memorial Proposed
Rendering: Lower Manhattan Development Corp. via Getty Images
A competition to design a memorial honoring those who died in the terrorist attacks inspired an astonishing 5,201 proposals from 62 countries. The winning concept by Michael Arad was announced in January 2004. Arad joined forces with landscape architect Peter Walker to develop the plans. The proposal, Reflecting Absence, has since gone through many revisions.
July 2004: Tower Cornerstone Laid
Photo © Monika Graff/Getty Images
The symbolic cornerstone of 1 World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) was laid in a ceremony on July 4, 2004. Shown here: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveils the cornerstone's inscription as New York State Governor George Pataki (left) and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey (right) look on. However, before construction could begin in earnest, the World Trade Center planners faced many controversies and obstacles.
2005: Designs Disputed
Photo © Chris Hondros/Getty Images
For more than a year, construction stalled. Families of September 11 victims objected to the plans. Cleanup workers reported health problems stemming from toxic dust at Ground Zero. Many people worried that the soaring Freedom Tower would be vulnerable to another terrorist attack. A top official in charge of the project resigned. In the midst of the controversy, real estate developer Donald Trump proposed an alternate plan. Architects went back to the drawing board. By June 2005, Freedom Tower had been redesigned. Architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable wrote that Daniel Libeskind's vision had been replaced by "an awkwardly torqued hybrid."
September 2005: Transportation Hub Begun
Courtesy of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
On September 6, 2005, workers began constructing a $2.21 billion terminal and transportation hub that would link subways to ferries and commuter trains in Lower Manhattan. The architect, Santiago Calatrava, envisioned a glass and steel structure that would suggest a bird in flight. He proposed that each level inside the station be column-free to create an open, bright space. Calatrava's plan was later modified to make the terminal more secure.
