4 World Trade Center
| Industry | Commercial real estate |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Original 4 World Trade Center (1975–2001) |
| Founded | November 13, 2013 (opening date of current building) |
| Fate | Rebuilt after destruction in September 11 attacks |
| Successor | Current 4 World Trade Center |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Lower Manhattan, New York City |
Key people | Fumihiko Maki (architect), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (main office occupant), Silverstein Properties (developer) |
| Products | Office and retail space |
| Owner | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (tenant), Silverstein Properties (developer) |
4 World Trade Center (also referred to as 4 WTC or 150 Greenwich Street) is a skyscraper situated in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It forms part of the reconstructed World Trade Center complex. The building, designed by Fumihiko Maki, functions as the main office for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).
This modern 4 World Trade Center stands in place of the original nine-story structure that once occupied the southeast corner of the former World Trade Center site before its destruction in the September 11 attacks. Construction commenced in January 2008, with the building opening its doors to tenants and visitors on November 13, 2013. It provides around 2.3 million square feet of combined office and retail space.
Site
Located at 150 Greenwich Street, 4 World Trade Center is part of the new World Trade Center complex within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The property is bordered by Greenwich Street on the west, Cortlandt Way to the north, Church Street on the east, and Liberty Street to the south. Within close proximity inside the complex are notable landmarks such as St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Liberty Park, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, One World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, along with 2 World Trade Center and 3 World Trade Center. Adjacent structures outside the complex include 195 Broadway, the Millennium Hilton New York Downtown hotel, the American Stock Exchange Building, One Liberty Plaza, and Zuccotti Park.
Original building (1975–2001)
The initial 4 World Trade Center was a nine-story office tower completed in 1975, measuring 118 feet (36 meters) in height, located at the southeast corner of the original World Trade Center site. This building was designed by architects Minoru Yamasaki and Emery Roth & Sons. Early occupants included the Commodities Exchange Center, which began relocating there in January 1977 and completed its move by July of that year. Prominent tenants consisted of Deutsche Bank occupying floors 4 through 6, and the New York Board of Trade on floors 7 to 9. The Liberty Street facade featured access to The Mall at the World Trade Center via a basement concourse level entrance.
4 World Trade Center was a major venue for commodities trading, hosting one of the largest trading floors globally at that time with 12 active trading pits. This prominence established it as a significant center for international commodity markets, even earning recognition in popular media such as the movie Trading Places.
Destruction
The collapse of the Twin Towers during the September 11 attacks caused extensive damage to surrounding buildings, including severe harm to the original 4 World Trade Center. Approximately two-thirds of its southern portion was destroyed, while what remained on the northern side was effectively demolished by debris from the fall of the South Tower. Subsequently, the building was dismantled to clear space for redevelopment.
At that time, substantial quantities of precious metals were stored in its basement commodities exchanges vaults—specifically silver coins weighing several tons and gold coins totaling hundreds of thousands of troy ounces—valued around $200 million. By November 2001, a large portion of these assets had been recovered and transported out through an intact segment of the Downtown Hudson Tubes. In 2002, numerous coins originally owned by the Bank of Nova Scotia were acquired, professionally graded by the Professional Coin Grading Service, and later offered for sale to collectors.
Redevelopment of the site
In July 2001, Larry Silverstein secured a lease for the original World Trade Center from the PANYNJ. Following the September 11 attacks, his firm, Silverstein Properties, continued to fulfill rent obligations. During the early 2000s, a group of architects and planners assembled to envision the site's reconstruction. Daniel Libeskind emerged as the winner of the master plan competition in February 2003, which proposed five towers, a memorial for 9/11, and a transportation center. By July 2004, the designs included two towers positioned at the southeast corner: 3 World Trade Center with 62 stories and 4 World Trade Center comprising 58 stories. Development was stalled by disagreements until a 2006 accord between PANYNJ and Silverstein Properties allowed Silverstein to obtain financing through Liberty bonds for towers 2, 3, and 4 in exchange for development rights over towers 1 and 5.
Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki was commissioned in May 2006 to design the new 4 World Trade Center at 150 Greenwich Street. Towers 2 and 3 were assigned to Norman Foster and Richard Rogers respectively. The finalized plans were revealed in September 2006: 4 World Trade Center was planned to reach 61 stories (947 feet) with nearly 1.8 million square feet dedicated to office space and an additional 146,000 square feet of retail at its base. The building’s lower floors followed a trapezoidal layout that transitioned into a parallelogram shape above. The base was integrated with the reconstructed Westfield World Trade Center Mall. That same month, PANYNJ agreed to lease approximately 600,000 square feet at below-market rates while New York City committed an extra 581,000 square feet—this arrangement enabled Silverstein to secure construction funding with clauses permitting eviction if market rents were achieved.
Cortlandt Street, which had been closed since the original World Trade Center’s construction, was slated for restoration between towers 3 and 4. Early proposals envisioned an enclosed shopping atrium linking the buildings; however, it was ultimately rebuilt as an open-air pedestrian walkway. Finalized designs for towers 2, 3, and 4 were presented in September 2007, designating them as the commercial eastern portion of the new World Trade Center complex, separate from the western memorial sector. Construction on tower 4 was planned to commence in January 2008. According to its agreement with PANYNJ, Silverstein Properties pledged to complete towers 3 and 4 by the conclusion of 2011.
Early developments
In 2007, PANYNJ initiated work on the East Bathtub foundation site intended for towers 3 and 4 WTC. This process involved excavating a deep trench and constructing a slurry wall surrounding it. The site was scheduled for transfer to Silverstein Properties by late 2007, with contractors eligible for a $10 million bonus if completed ahead of schedule. Due to delays, Silverstein took possession on February 17, 2008; PANYNJ incurred a $14.4 million penalty for a delay lasting 48 days.
Early in 2008, PANYNJ extended tower 4 WTC’s completion deadline to April 2012 amid concerns about security related to its fully glass façade. A study conducted in 2009 projected full occupancy by 2014 but noted delays caused by the 2008 financial crisis. Construction briefly halted in March 2009 after unauthorized crane operation was detected. Throughout late 2008, disputes regarding site barriers between Silverstein and PANYNJ continued; eventually, an arbitration panel awarded Silverstein $20.1 million.
By May of that year, Silverstein sought funding from PANYNJ for both towers 2 and 4 WTC; however, due to economic recession impacts and ongoing disagreements, only tower 4 received agency support. At that time, one-third of tower 4’s office space had been leased while no tenants had committed to tower 2. Silverstein retained an option to lease space to New York City at below-market rates but hesitated in anticipation of higher rents upon opening. He expressed optimism about attracting financial sector tenants given the proximity to Wall Street.
In November 2010, three PureCell fuel cell units were installed providing roughly thirty percent of tower 4 WTC’s energy needs. By year-end, construction had reached the tenth floor and was fully financed through insurance proceeds.
Financing and Project Completion
In November 2010, a New York state authority authorized Silverstein to secure up to $200 million in bonds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to fund 4 WTC and an additional tower. Silverstein intended to generate $1.36 billion via Liberty bonds to finalize 4 WTC but delayed the bond issuance in December 2010 due to volatility in the municipal bond market. Early the following year, Silverstein exercised an option to lease space to the New York City government. After market conditions stabilized, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) scheduled a Liberty bond vote for early 2011; however, this was postponed after investors raised concerns regarding bond seniority. Failure to complete the bond sale by the end of that year threatened to postpone the project timeline.
Construction advanced steadily at about one floor weekly in early 2011, reaching the 23rd level by May. Following five months of discussions, a revised financing arrangement was announced in September 2011, subordinating Liberty bonds beneath existing debt. Sales of Liberty bonds began in November 2011. The erection of the building commenced with the steel framework, followed by installation of the concrete core and curtain wall system. By early 2012, construction had climbed to the 61st floor. In February 2012, a crane cable failure caused a steel beam to fall forty stories; fortunately, no serious injuries occurred and work resumed without significant delay. The superstructure was topped out on June 26, 2012, with the last steel piece placed on the 72nd floor. Two minor incidents occurred subsequently but resulted in no major harm.
Although basement areas flooded during Hurricane Sandy at the end of 2012, completion remained on track for the following year. Structural steel and concrete work concluded by June 1, 2013; construction fencing was removed by September. The building officially opened on November 13, 2013, accompanied by a section of Greenwich Street reopening. It became the second tower finished at the World Trade Center site after 7 World Trade Center. The total cost approached US$1.67 billion, financed through insurance settlements and Liberty bonds. Upon opening, PANYNJ and city agencies were principal occupants, leasing approximately 60% of available space. Despite reports from the Financial Times highlighting notable vacancies, Silverstein Properties remained optimistic that the building’s design would attract tenants similar to those found in Park Avenue office towers.
Occupancy
The initial occupants included PANYNJ and New York City government entities. The city leased a substantial portion of space, while PANYNJ relocated its headquarters in 2015 from 225 Park Avenue South, returning to the World Trade Center site after a fourteen-year absence. Early demand for office space was weak due to downsizing within financial sectors. To mitigate vacancy rates, Silverstein rented out floors for events at $50,000 per day, hosting prominent photo shoots and promotional activities.
By July 2015, leasing levels had reached 62 percent. In February 2017, Spotify signed a lease for floors 62 through 72 as its U.S. headquarters and subsequently expanded its footprint, leading to full occupancy at 4 WTC. SportsNet New York moved its headquarters into an office space within 4 WTC in late 2015; its studios also function as New York City’s base for NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
In 2020, Silver Art Projects—a nonprofit organization led by Larry Silverstein’s grandson Cory Silverstein—established 28 art studios on the building’s 28th floor. Each year, twenty-five studios are allocated free of charge to selected artists through an application process; three studios are reserved for mentors working with emerging artists.
Architecture
4 World Trade Center reaches an approximate height of 978 feet (298 meters) and provides around 2.3 million square feet of office space.
Form and facade
The structure is clad with a curtain wall system composed of glass panels that extend the full height of each floor. These glass sections measure roughly 7 feet in width and 15 feet in height. The majority of the exterior utilizes reflective glass, while the lobby area features clear glass panels. The building’s lowest five levels function as mechanical floors and are adorned with slender vertical louvers, except on the western side facing the National September 11 Memorial, where louvers are omitted. According to the New York Daily News, Maki and Associates designed the tower to show respect toward the memorial site. Jaros, Baum & Bolles handled the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering aspects.
Described by Engineering News-Record as a "minimalist tower with an abstract sculptural presence," 4 WTC’s floors 7 through 46 follow a parallelogram-shaped floor plan that mirrors the shape of the World Trade Center site, covering approximately 42,000 square feet each. Floors 48 to 63 adopt a trapezoidal layout spanning about 34,000 square feet per floor. The facade is emphasized by pronounced grooves located at the obtuse angles of the parallelogram design. The building’s topmost level contains a penthouse office suite.
Structural features
The structural engineering was undertaken by Leslie E. Robertson Associates, founded by Leslie Robertson, who was the lead engineer for the original Twin Towers. The foundation consists of concrete footings anchored securely into bedrock. A distinctive challenge at this site was a bedrock pothole in the southeast corner, where glacial erosion created a depth reaching approximately 65 feet, significantly deeper than other areas measuring around 35 feet. A slurry wall surrounds the foundation and is anchored to bedrock everywhere except at this pothole.
Steel components for the superstructure were provided by DCM Erectors, comprising a steel framework weighing about 25,000 tons, supplemented by roughly 13,000 cubic yards of concrete and approximately 1,500 tons of rebar reinforcement. The reinforced concrete core houses mechanical equipment, stairwells, and elevator shafts. Elevators installed by Schindler Group operate at speeds up to 1,600 feet per minute. Retail sections include six escalators along with passenger and freight elevators; meanwhile, upper office floors are served by a total of 37 elevators—34 designated for passengers and three for service—to ensure efficient vertical movement throughout the building.
Lower stories
Six floors are dedicated to retail use: these comprise the ground level, three floors above it, and two basement levels. Retail spaces occupy the eastern portion of the ground floor and include tenants such as Eataly. These commercial areas are connected via an underground concourse to both the PATH rail system and New York City Subway through the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
The lobby on the ground floor spans two stories with a ceiling height of approximately 30 feet and is situated on the western side facing the National September 11 Memorial. Its interior design features wood-beamed ceilings, white granite flooring, and walls clad in Swedish black granite. Suspended from the ceiling is Kozo Nishino's Sky Memory, a titanium sculpture weighing around two tons, measuring roughly 40 feet across and hanging about 20 feet above the floor. Additionally, the lobby displays Vandal Gummy, a large bear sculpture crafted by street artist WhIsBe. Near the escalators within this space is an LED installation created by artist Ivan Navarro. Three corridors extending from the lobby showcase video art mounted on wood-paneled walls. According to The Wall Street Journal, this lobby is expected to be New York’s largest by volume.
Critical reception
While under construction, The New York Times referred to 4 WTC as "the largest skyscraper that many New Yorkers remain unaware of." The lobby received acclaim from The Wall Street Journal for its impressive entrance to the World Trade Center Memorial, highlighting its soothing ambiance within the Financial District. At the time of its inauguration, architect Daniel Libeskind remarked that the WTC site had evolved into "a location that will demonstrate to the world all the exceptional qualities of cities, particularly New York."
See also
External links
- 4WTC.com - 4 World Trade Center - 150 Greenwich Street - Official website