
The Empire State Building was long overshadowed as the tallest building in New York City with the rise of the World Trade Center Towers. The twin monoliths indeed claimed the title of world’s tallest buildings, and they remained a dominant part of the skyline until their demise in 2001. Now, eleven years later, a new spire rises to a height that again eclipses the Empire State Building’s impressive 1250 feet. 1 World Trade Center is a building many years in the making. After numerous design revisions and setbacks, it rises steadily on the horizon, and as of today (April 30th), should pass 1271 feet into the sky, making it the newest and tallest building in Gotham.

“Say what you like about the symbolism of tall buildings, they do express civic pride. It’s high time for a tower to scrape the sky again in Lower Manhattan.”